Shrine Of Love
by waterlily216
Summary: -COMPLETE- While Kagome lives half her life as a student, she lives the other half as a kickbutt martial artist & trains at her cousin Miroku's shrine. With a perverted cousin, a flirtatious instructor & a hottempered friend, will she survive there? R
1. Houshi Shrine

**Shrine Of Love**

****

A/N: WOOHOO! My 5th fanfic is finally out!

As I've said I'd do in "You Stole My Heart": **_I dedicate this fanfiction to every single person who's read my fics (yes, this includes you because you're reading a fic of mine right now!)._ ** **_Especially to those who reviewed. Thanks!!!_**

Disclaimer: I'm only going to say this one time...and that time is now because I don't want to say it over and over again at the beginning of every chapter.

"I, Waterlily216, do NOT own Inuyasha. Never did and never will."

Except for the Inuyasha DVDs and comics that I buy...And there's nothing wrong with dreaming, right?

* * *

:O:

VOCABULARY

Here are some terms in the story that you might not know:

Shojis: those paper screened sliding doors used in Japanese houses (I don't know much about them...)

Gi: a training outfit worn for martial arts...like the white ones that people wear when they practice karate and all...

Well, if you see any more words that I you don't know and that I didn't define, just tell me.

:O:

And now, the first chapter of Shrine of Love!

* * *

Chapter 1: Houshi Shrine

An 11th grade girl with raven black hair and gray-blue eyes walked slowly to Houshi Shrine after school.

"Why do I have to come here if I live in a shrine myself?" the girl mumbled.

* * *

:.:Flashback:.:

_"You can train at your Cousin Miroku's shrine," her mother said._

_"Why?" the girl whined. "I live in a shrine too! Can't I just train here?"_

_"Kagome," her mother shook her head. "Your grandpa and I are too busy. Miroku's parents - your aunt and uncle – the training there is for free too. Besides, they just moved here and opened up Houshi Shrine this month. Just go, Kagome. Make us proud."_

:.:End Of Flashback:.:

* * *

"Make us proud," Kagome mimicked to herself. "Whatever...hm, I'm here."

She stopped in front of the shrine stairs that led up to Houshi Shrine.

"Well, I have to admit...it's pretty," she said with awe.

Kagome walked up the stairs and then stared at the view in front of her. Houshi shrine looked nothing like her shrine, Higurashi Shrine. The roofs were elaborately carved and decorated at the top (you know those temple roofs? Yeah..think of those ) Sakura trees in full bloom were lined up perfectly on the left and right side of the shrine. In the back, she could see a large pond with a few lily pads floating on the surface.

'This looks like paradise,' Kagome breathed.

"Hello, fair maiden!" a voice shouted.

She broke from her trance and looked ahead. A familiar teenage boy that was dressed up in black and purple monk clothes was running towards her.

Kagome rolled her eyes and walked toward him, "Spare me, Miroku. I can't believe you! I'm your COUSIN for Kami's sake."

He stopped in front of her, panting hard. Miroku straightened up and took a deep breath, his purple eyes shimmering mischievously.

"A rather beautiful cousin, if you ask me," he replied with a lopsided grin.

BONK

"You HENTAI!" she grabbed his ear and screamed in it. Miroku winced.

"Okay, okay," he whined. "Jeez...but I wasn't joking you know."

He fixed his black hair so that it was back into a tight mouse-tail in the back of his head.

"You're early," Miroku finally said. "In fact, you're one hour early."

"Yeah, well," Kagome looked at the floor shyly. "My mom wanted me to look around and get to know this place and everyone that lives and works in this place..."

He took her by the wrist and started dragging her into the shrine.

"My parents aren't going to be here for two months. They're visiting some relatives in another city, so I have to take care of the shrine. I'll show you the girls' changing room and all the other rooms that you need to know," Miroku said, ignoring her complaints about how hard he was gripping her. "Say, Kagome..."

He suddenly let go of her wrist, but continued to walk.

"What?" she glared, following him all the while.

"Do you know any women that I might be interested in meeting at your school?" he asked innocently, his back still facing her.

"You perverted lecher," Kagome snorted. "Why don't you enroll in my school and find out for yourself."

"Maybe I will," he shrugged.

"That was a JOKE! I don't want you coming to my school!!!!!"

Miroku turned around, "Whatever...well, here's the girls' changing room."

"And how did you know where the GIRLS' changing room IS?" Kagome scoffed.

Miroku sweat-dropped, 'She got me...but at least I have a good excuse.'

"I WORK here. This is my HOME, so I'm obviously supposed to know where every room is located," he answered. "Now stay, I'll be right back."

Kagome blinked as he opened up one of the shoji's in the room and walked out.

"Where'd he-" she started. Miroku returned with a white gi in hand.

"Here's your outfit," he handed it over.

Kagome took it carefully, "Oooh...it's so soft."

"I know," Miroku nodded knowingly. "So take good care of it and try not to get it dirty."

He sighed, "Practice will start in 30 minutes. You can go look around if you want."

"Okay," Kagome smiled. "I'll see you then."

* * *

Kagome headed straight towards the pond and knelt down beside it.

'It's so peaceful here...' she thought and dipped a finger into the clear water.

-fwoosh-

"I just heard something," she mumbled. "Wonder what's causing it..."

Kagome tiptoed slowly toward the source of the sound and stopped in front of a room with no light turned on inside. She stepped inside and stepped to the side quickly so her form wouldn't be seen in the light in the doorway.

She heard a boy panting and the sound of air rushing by as he punched and kicked nobody in particular...but air itself.

Kagome closed her eyes and listened to the rhythm that was happening.

Fwoosh

Thwack

Thwack

Fwoosh

Thwack

Thwack

Fwoosh

Thwack

'Hey, the pattern stopped,' Kagome thought.

A hand suddenly slammed against the wall, beside her head.

She let out a small squeak.

"Who are you?" she heard the boy whisper in her ear. A shiver went up her spine.

"I-I'm Miroku's cousin," she stammered. Kagome heard the boy chuckle and heard a small "flick" come from the other side of her head, the side that was near the door. Her eyes closed for a brief moment from the brightness of the light.

'The light switch must've been right next to my head the whole entire time...' she thought, her eyes slowly opening again.

Kagome found herself gazing into dark violet eyes.

"So you're the wench that Miroku's been talking about for the past few days," the boy stared back at her with a small grin. "And everything he's said about you is true..."

Kagome blinked, "What? What'd Miroku say about me?"

"Oh, nothing," he brought his arm down and ran a hand through his long silky black hair.

She blushed, 'He looks so hot...'

Kagome then realized his black training outfit.

"You're wearing a black gi," she breathed. "Which means..."

"Yup," he shot her a smile. "I'm one of the instructors here."

Suddenly, the sound of glass breaking was heard.

"INUYASHA!" Miroku's voice hollered. "COULD YOU COME AND HELP ME PLEASE...OW!"

"Wonder what that lech did this time," the boy laughed. "Well, I guess I'll see you later, wench."

With that, he walked out the door.

"It's KAGOME!" Kagome shouted after him. "Not wench!"

She stared after his figure, "So his name is Inuyasha..."

* * *

DING

...

DING

...

DING

Miroku let go of the rope that was attached to the huge golden bell and wiped his forehead.

"That looks like hard work," a voice said behind him.

"GAH!" he jumped. Miroku whipped around and faced a smiling Kagome. She had changed into her training outfit.

"Oh, Kami. I scared you? Sorry!" she giggled. Kagome looked up at the hanging bell. "That's big..."

"It's expensive too," Miroku added, staring up at the bell with her. "Sometimes I wonder why we would use such an expensive and beautiful thing to tell everyone what time it is."

"If it's so expensive," Kagome looked at him with amusement. "How come you're letting it stand in a corner of the shrine...where someone might be able to steal it at night while no one was watching?"

"Well, erm, it's heavy so no one will be able to carry it..." was all he could say back.

She giggled again, "Well, have any other students arrived yet?"

"No," he answered slowly.

"Did you put up any signs around town about this training thing?" Kagome asked.

Miroku smacked his forehead with a hand, "I knew I forgot something..."

* * *

"You'll be the only student for today," Miroku led her to the shrine dojo. "But that's okay because you'll get all the attention."

They stopped in front of a closed door.

"Well, here you go," he said cheerfully. "Hope you enjoy your first day of training."

Miroku walked off.

Kagome stared after him and then shifted her eyes to the door in front of her.

She nervously slid the door open and stepped in, closing the door behind her.

Long, rectangular, slightly narrow mirrors of the same size were hung up on the walls... the walls barely visible because they were basically covered.

"Well, well, if it isn't the wench," a familiar voice said slyly.

Kagome turned her head and glared, "For the last time, it's 'Kagome'! Ka-go-me! Got it, you jerk?!"

Inuyasha continued to sit on the wooden floor on the other side of the room, unfazed. His eyes met hers equally, "And my name is Inuyasha. In-u-ya-sha. Got it...you wench?"

Kagome's hands clenched together and she turned her head away.

"Shut up," she grumbled.

He stood up, "You know hand to hand combat?"

"A little," she faced him again. "I learned a little of that when I was younger."

"And let me guess," he smirked. "You forgot it all, right?"

Kagome glared at him and replied icily, "Say that again?"

"I said that you forgot it all," Inuyasha flashed her a wicked grin. "Well, you did, didn't you?"

Kagome dug her heel firmly onto the floor and got into a fighting stance.

"I'll show you..." she growled.

Inuyasha got into a fighting stance himself, "Give me all you've got."

Kagome charged towards him and launched a punch at his face. He easily blocked. She launched another punch. He caught her arm and gave it a good twist.

Kagome bit her lip from screaming out. She started a series of kicks. He dodged each time.

'He's fast,' she narrowed her eyes.

Inuyasha swiped a leg at her feet and Kagome found herself lying on the floor the next second.

She sat up with a moan.

She felt a strong arm wrap around her waist and another one wrap around her neck. Inuyasha had pinned her against him.

For a second, Kagome wanted to melt into his arms and then reconsidered when his hold on her turned into a deathly grip. She struggled.

'Can't breathe...' she gasped for air. Kagome flinched when his hold tightened even more.

"Give up?" Inuyasha asked with a grin.

Kagome smacked the heel of one of her palms up and connected with his chin. His hold on her loosened. She jabbed an elbow into his chest and escaped his hold.

"Never," Kagome wiped the sweat on her face away. "I'm not a quitter."

Her eyes flashed.

Inuyasha watched with amazement, 'She has more fire in her than I thought she did...'

She charged at him and launched a punch.

'Yes!' Kagome breathed in triumphantly when she connected with face. He stumbled back a few steps with a stunned look.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and sent a punch toward her stomach. She concentrated on the arm and caught hold of it.

"Wha-" he started.

She twisted his arm and knocked him off his feet with a swift kick at his legs. Kagome then sat on his torso to pin him down and held back a fist, ready to give him one final punch. Inuyasha looked up at her with amusement.

"Don't forget my hands," he said.

"What are you talking abo-" she began.

He took hold of the arm that she wasn't holding back for the punch and yanked on it. Kagome fell on top of him with a shriek. His arms wrapped around her waist and he rolled over so that now, he was on top of her, and she, underneath him.

"Huh...?" Kagome stared up into his violet eyes.

"Anger and over-confidence was what made you lose today," Inuyasha said lightly.

"I can say the same for you!" she 'humph'ed. Kagome turned her head away. She then noticed how close they were and that his arms were still around her. She blushed.

"I guess you're right," he agreed. Kagome looked up at him again.

Inuyasha continued, "I underestimated you. You're a better fighter than I thought you were."

"Well, yeah, and you were a big MEANIE!" she spat. "You wouldn't take into consideration that I'm a girl too!"

"It's my JOB to do this, WENCH," he countered. "I don't go easy on anybody."

Kagome started growling.

"But you're off to a good start and I know you're going to be a good student," Inuyasha smiled down at her. He freed his arms from underneath her and sat up with a sigh. He glanced at the clock above the door. "Wow, time flew by quickly. Training is over for today."

Kagome sat up, "Yeah..."

Inuyasha stood up and opened the door. Before leaving, he turned and said with a kind expression (very OOC, hm?), "See you later...Kagome."

He left.

Kagome put a hand on her chest to steady her beating heart and murmured, "You too..."

A/N: O.o I have a feeling fluff is coming very soon....hehe. Well, please review!!!!!!


	2. Sango, Exterminator Of Perverts and Lech...

**Shrine Of Love**

A/N: I'm back with an all new chappie!

Inuyasha: "Duh, you're back with an all new chapter! Every time you're back, you're SUPPOSED to be back with an all new chapter!"

Waterlily: "Shut up!"

Inuyasha: "Make me!"

Waterlily: -with an evil look-

Inuyasha: "You're scaring me..."

Waterlily: "Kagome!"

-Kagome magically appears-

Kagome: "Yes?"

Waterlily: "Would you do me the honors?"

Kagome: "Of course..."

-Turns to Inuyasha-

Kagome: "SIT!"

Inuyasha: -SMACK- "..."

Waterlily: "MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Anyways, I forgot to mention the pairings, but it's so obvious, isn't it? Inu/Kag, Mir/San, Kou/Aya, and a LITTLE bit of Kik/Nara (mostly kik/no one -cackles evilly-).

**:p**

Chapter 2: Sango, Exterminator Of Perverts and Lechers

Kagome was walking to school the next day when she heard a slap.

"You HENTAI!" a girl's voice screamed.

Kagome walked closer to the scene and spotted a familiar boy.

"MIROKU?!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

He opened up his mouth to answer, but she stomped over and grabbed him by the ear.

"Are you hitting on girls again?!" she demanded.

"No, I was just getting to know this lovely-" he yelped when she gave his ear a good twist.

"I better not see you lay a finger on any girl in this school, got it?" Kagome asked.

"O-okay," he gulped.

Kagome smiled and turned to the girl.

She had long black hair that was tied into a low pony tail and dark brown eyes.

"Hi, I'm Kagome Higurashi," Kagome bowed.

"I'm Sango Taijiya," the girl bowed back.

(A/N: Hehe. It's easier with last names...trust me. So I'm going to have our main characters have last names. I couldn't think of a last name for Sango. But then, I remembered a few stories with her having the last name 'Taijiya' so I'm going to use that name too...)

Miroku poked Kagome's arm.

She rolled her eyes, "And this is my perverted cousin, Miroku Houshi."

"We've met, as you can see," Sango said with annoyance.

"Well, it was a rather nice acquaintance, wouldn't you say?" Miroku scooped up her hands in his. Then, without warning... "Sango, would you do me the honor of bearing my child?"

She twitched, "Y-you HENTAI!"

SLAP

"It was worth a shot..." Miroku sighed (with Sango huffing and puffing in the background...).

Kagome sweat-dropped.

"HIGURASHI!" a voice shouted. "PREPARE TO DIE!"

A girl suddenly came into view above them and came down for a kick.

Kagome took her outstretched leg and twisted it. The girl shrieked as she twirled, and fell flat on her face on the ground.

"Hi, Kikyo," Kagome yawned.

Kikyo stood up, tossed her long black hair over her shoulder and glared at her with her stone cold brown eyes.

"Sneak attacks are low," she hissed.

"Look who's talking?" Kagome shot back.

"Why you-" Kikyo started. She shut her mouth and gave her a punch in the stomach. Kagome clattered onto the ground with a grunt.

"Kagome!" Sango stepped forward in concern.

"I'm okay," she replied, shaking her head. "Stay out of this, Sango. This happens everyday at school."

"Everyday?!" Miroku stared at her with disbelief. "You can't be serious."

"I AM," Kagome stood up and brushed herself off. "It's a wonder why we don't get in trouble with the teachers..."

She fixed her eyes on her opponent. A crowd had formed around them...like usual. "You know, I barely felt that. BARELY."

Kikyo growled and then hollered, "No one insults me and gets away with it!"

She held back a leg and came back with a strong kick.

It hit Kagome in the hip. She winced in pain.

"It...hurts," Kagome murmured, putting a hand to the sore spot.

Kikyo cackled, "NEVER take you eyes off your opponent."

She swiped her leg at Kagome's feet and grinned with delight when she saw her collapse onto the ground on her back.

"Sh-shoot," Kagome breathed. She watched as her rival leapt up into the air and as she outstretched a leg in front of her.

"This is the end, Higurashi," Kikyo bellowed with triumph. "I win today's battle!"

She began her way down, ready to deliver the final kick.

Kagome stared blankly up at her, 'Wow...she never actually beat me before...'

A blur suddenly appeared beside her and picked her up gently before taking a leap to the side.

Kikyo yelped as she roughly slid onto the dirt ground and kicked nothing but air.

Kagome looked up into a pair of familiar violet eyes and blinked, "I-Inuyasha?"

He looked down at her, "The one and only."

"Hey, boy!" Kikyo shouted, stand up. "Who do you think you are?! You have no right to butt into our business!"

"It's not right to attack someone further when they're hurt seriously," he replied, setting Kagome down onto the ground carefully. He stood up, his back still facing Kikyo.

She stomped over to him and grabbed one of his shoulders, whipping him around.

He narrowed his eyes at her.

She gaped, "Y-you're..."

"I'm what?" he cocked an eyebrow.

"You're gorgeous!" she squealed. "Oh, Kami. Can we be boyfriend and girlfriend? We'd be, like, the most cutest couple!"

"I'll pass on that one," he took her hand off him. "I can see that you're one of those snobby, self-centered types of girls. I don't like girls like you."

"What's you're name? What's your name?!" she squealed excitedly, ignoring his last statements. "My name's Kikyo Minikui (minikui means ugly -smirk- hehehe). But you can call me sweetie, or honey, or-"

"How about moron?" Inuyasha snorted. "Or asshole? Or bitch?"

"Darling..." she pouted. He gagged.

"My name is not DARLING! It's INUYASHA!" he shouted. "Now get AWAY from ME!"

"Whatever you say, dearest," Kikyo cooed and skipped off.

Before all the students that were watching walked away, Miroku yelled out, "And that ladies and gentlemen, is an example of what kind of martial arts we'll be teaching at Houshi Shrine! Sign up today! It's for free!"

"Are you okay, Kagome?" Sango knelt down in front of her new friend.

"I'm fine," Kagome pasted on a smile. "It's just my hip."

She glanced at Miroku and Inuyasha, "You two are wearing our school uniform? Why?"

"We're new students," Inuyasha slung his backpack onto a shoulder. "Don't we have the right to go to school here?"

She blushed in embarrassment, "Yeah."

He gazed at her and then tore his eyes away, "Feh."

Miroku cleared his throat, "Uh, Kagome. Could you help us find our way to the office?"

"Yeah, me too," Sango nodded. "I'm also new."

She stood up with a wince, "Sure."

* * *

Kagome walked quietly beside Inuyasha as they headed toward the office. Sango and Miroku were chatting behind them.

"Are you going to be okay?" Inuyasha asked softly when he caught Kagome rubbing her sore hip.

Kagome looked at him with surprise and then smiled, "Yes. I'll be fine. I get used to all these injuries because Kikyo and I fight everyday."

"..."

She sighed and looked ahead, "Well, here we are."

She stepped through the doorway of a room and motioned for the three new students to do the same.

"Hi," a girl piped. She had green eyes and red hair that was tied up into pigtails. "Can I help you?"

"Hi, Ayame," Kagome greeted. "These 3 are new students and they need their schedules."

"Sure," the girl smiled. "Can I have your names please?"

"Sango Taijiya," Sango smiled back.

"Inuyasha Takahashi," Inuyasha said while looking around.

(A/N: Like I Takahashi created Inuyasha, so I'm giving her credit.)

"Miroku Houshi," Miroku walked to her and took her hands in his. "Ayame, you're quite beautiful. Would you bear my child?"

"W-What?" she blinked and then screamed. "AH! You pervert!"

SLAP

Kagome grabbed onto one of his ears, "What'd I say about not laying a finger on another girl?!"

"I-I'm sorry!" he apologized. "I couldn't help myself-OW!"

When the schedules were printed out, Ayame handed them over to Kagome.

"Welcome to Shikon No Tama High," Ayame bowed to the three new students as Kagome passed out their schedules to them. "We hope you like it here."

"Oh, believe me," Miroku winked. "I wiiiiill-OW!"

Kagome glared at him, kept her hold on his ear, and then dragged him out the door.

* * *

"Please welcome our three new students," Mr. Nobunaga smiled gently at the class. A few students murmured a "hi" while the rest just sat with a bored expression.

The teacher looked around the room, "Now, let's see where we're going to put you three...ah!"

He motioned Sango to step forward.

"Miss Taijiya, you can sit next to that empty desk next to Miss Higurashi over there in the back of the class...Miss Higurashi, please raise your hand."

Kagome hesitantly obeyed, but was grinning with joy.

Sango walked over to her with a smile and sat down on the desk beside her.

"And Mr. Houshi..." Mr. Nobunaga looked around again. "Hm...we're starting to run out of seats in the classroom...well, why don't you take a seat behind Miss Taijiya?"

"Gladly," Miroku said a little bit too smugly, grinning from ear to ear.

Sango moaned as he walked to his seat and sat down.

"This is great," Miroku said cheerfully to her. "We'll get to know each other better."

'Who said I wanted to get to know YOU better?' she thought.

Mr. Nobunaga smiled again, "And last, Mr. Takahashi."

Kikyo's hand darted up, "Mr. Nobunaga! Can Inuyasha sit with me?"

"But there's no seats available near you," he shook his head. "I'm afraid he'll have to sit behind Miss Higurashi."

Her mouth fell open, "With the IDIOT of the class?"

"Look who's talking," everyone heard Kagome snort.

Kikyo shot up from her chair from the middle of the front row of the room, whipped around and glared at her rival, "You have no right to speak to me like that!"

"That's enough, you two," Mr. Nobunaga shook his head. "Miss Minikui, please take your seat. Mr. Takahashi, please take a seat behind Miss Higurashi."

Inuyasha walked past Kikyo and muttered to her, "Bitch."

She pouted. He made a face of disgust as he continued his slow walk to his desk.

Inuyasha's scowl turned into a smirk when he saw Kagome's face buried in her hands.

He sat down behind her and whispered teasingly to her as Mr. Nobunaga resumed class, "Hi, idiot."

Kagome moaned softly. This was going to be a very long year.

* * *

Sango and Kagome settled beneath a huge and thick oak tree during lunch in the lunch courts as they decided what clubs they were going to join.

"So, the last period is going to be one hour," Sango said slowly. "And the time for the two clubs we join are going to be split up equally, so that means that each club will be 30 minutes long."

"Right," Kagome nodded. "So what clubs do you-"

"Kagome! SANGO!" a voice sang out.

The two girls flinched and looked up. Miroku waved wildly and made his way towards them.

"How's my beautiful cousin and her beautiful friend?" he piped.

"Annoyed by a certain monk-in-training, that's what," Kagome remarked sourly. "What are you doing here, Miroku?"

"I just wanted to spend some time with you and Sango," he said with a fake hurt look. "Is that too much to ask?"

"Apparently, it is," Sango held up her chin and crossed her arms over her chest with a 'humph'.

"But I'm new here...and I have no friends..." Miroku said quietly.

"Oh, cut it out," Kagome rolled her eyes. "You have Inuyasha."

"But I can't find him."

She stood up with exasperation, "Oh, Kami. Fine, I'll go help you look for him, just stop bothering us!"

She heard a faint rustle of leaves and then a..."BOO!"

Kagome let out a shriek and spun around.

"Man, you're so easy to scare!" Inuyasha laughed. He was hanging upside down on a branch from the oak tree, just only nine feet away from the ground, his legs securely latching on to a branch. Kagome found herself reddened with embarrassment and felt herself wanting to slap him...after all, his face WAS right in front of her own...just upside down. He stopped chuckling and opened his violet eyes again. "So, why don't you want Miroku to hang out with you and Sango?"

"Because!" Kagome exclaimed. "Now just leave Sango and me alone and take Miroku with you while you leave us to have lunch in peace!"

"But I like hanging out with babes like you," he answered with a sly smile.

Kagome pushed back her blush and held back a hand.

SLAP!

Inu Yasha's legs lost their secure hold on the branch and he tumbled to the ground.

"Don't ever call me a babe!" she snapped.

"You didn't have to slap me!" he sat up and spat with a glare. Inuyasha rubbed his head, "If anything in me is broken I'm going to sue, just watch."

"Just try..." she kneeled down in front of him and dug a finger into his chest. "But I'm sorry to say that there's not much that I can give you...let alone money."

"I have other things in mind..." he had a wicked gleam in his eyes.

SLAP!

"YOU PERVERT! YOU'RE TURNING INTO MIROKU!!!" Kagome shrieked.

"Okay, okay," he scowled. "I was just joking..."

He ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh, "You're not pretty enough to be considered a babe anyway..."

He glanced at her and gulped.

"Inuyasha..." she said sweetly.

"What?"

SLAP!

* * *

:o:O:o:O:o: After School :o:O:o:O:o:

"I can't believe I have the same classes as this wench!" Inuyasha whined as they walked toward Houshi Shrine.

"For you're information," Kagome sniffed. "You AND Miroku and Sango have the same classes as me. And my name is not WENCH, jerk!"

"Maybe we have the same classes because they've run out of room in other classes..." Miroku suggested. "And it's still September. Students start moving later in the year."

He slung an arm around Kagome, "And I don't mind having the same classes as my beautiful cousin."

"Get your arm off me, hentai," Kagome hissed. He quickly obeyed with a gulp.

They quickly reached Houshi Shrine and stopped at the stairs.

"Well, I'll go set things up," Inuyasha turned towards Miroku.

"Okay," Miroku nodded. "I'll stay in the office for the next free hour and see if any people show up to sign up."

"Okay, see you two later," Inuyasha winked and then headed up the stairs ahead of them.

Miroku stared after him, "Inuyasha's been a great help. He comes here everyday, except on Sundays and cleans up the shrine while on Saturdays he cooks, does the laundry, and does the shopping."

"Sounds like he does all the work here for you," Kagome looked at him amusedly.

"He does not!" Miroku argued. "I have to do all the work on Sundays!"

She fell over anime-style.

* * *

:o:O:o:O:o: 30 Minutes Later :o:O:o:O:o:

Kagome stood near the shrine bell and gazed in awe at the view.

"Kagome!" Miroku's voice cried out. "Kagome, two people signed up! I know Mom and Dad would've been happy if they were here. "

She spun around and asked, "Well, who signed up?"

He ran to her, hugging a small stack of papers.

"The first one is Sango," Miroku said.

Kagome jumped up and down, squealing with joy, "Yes! Now, I don't have to deal with you alone!"

He ignored her last statement, "And the second one is that Kikyo girl."

Kagome stopped jumping up and down and her squealing turned into a small growl, "Her?! Why'd you let HER sign up?!"

"She has every right to sign up, Kagome," Miroku said seriously. "Just deal with it...the two are getting their outfits in the supply room right now..."

He sighed, his eyes shimmering, "Sango's an advanced fighter."

"So?" Kagome snorted.

"I teach the advanced fighters," Miroku said, grinning crazily.

"Oh, Kami," she rolled her eyes.

Miroku looked down at the papers and continued, "Kikyo's an intermediate fighter like you, so Inuyasha will be teaching her too."

Kagome groaned.

"What?" he glanced at her.

She shook her head, "Oh, nothing."

Miroku exhaled slowly, "We're still looking for an instructor for the beginners, but since no beginners signed up yet, we won't need one for now. You know the one thing that sucks about this?"

"What?"

"This is all for free and you don't have to pay, but my parents and I have to pay the instructors."

"What, you expect them to work here for free?" Kagome laughed.

* * *

:o:O:o:O:o: 3:30 (Training Time!) :o:O:o:O:o:

"What's she doing here?" Inuyasha whispered to Kagome as they both watched Kikyo humming stupidly on the other side of the room.

"She signed up, you jerk. Why else would she be here?" she rolled her eyes.

"To flirt with me, that's what," he moaned. "Oh, well. I'll just have to deal with her, won't I?"

(Talk about déjà vu...Didn't Miroku say that to Kagome?...-goes back to check- Yup, he did. :p)

"Inu-dearest!" Kikyo cooed loudly. "Are we going to start yet?"

Kagome smirked at him before heading over to the other side of the room, "Good luck with that."

* * *

"You HENTAI!" Sango screeched, scrunched up against the wall. "Get your hands off me!"

"But it was an accident!" Miroku protested, scooting away from her fearfully.

"'It was an accident' my butt!" she hissed.

"But I have to train you, it's my job!"

"Train me, not GROPE me!"

* * *

"Okay, Kikyo, you first," Inuyasha said as calmly as he could. He watched as Kikyo stood up and got into position in front of him.

"Let's see how well YOU know hand to hand combat," he got into a fighting stance.

Kikyo remained standing with a gleeful smile, "I'm ready, darling."

'I'm going to wipe the smile off her face if she keeps that up,' Inuyasha growled. He charged at her.

'No way would he hurt a girl,' Kikyo thought, watching him loom closer to her.

PUNCH!

Kikyo was knocked down onto the floor.

"Why didn't you do anything?!" he demanded.

"I didn't think you'd actually attack me..." Kikyo wailed while Kagome stifled a laugh.

"Well, now you know it's the complete opposite," he glared at the crying girl.

Suddenly, all three of them heard loud rackets come from the room next door.

"I'll go see what's going on," Inuyasha said slowly and left the room.

Kagome and Kikyo remained rooted to their places when Kikyo sneered, "You better stay away from MY Inuyasha, or else."

"Or else what?" Kagome asked, annoyed. She examined her nails with boredom. "It seems to me that he's not even interested in you...in other words...you're not his type."

"So you're saying YOU are?!"

Kagome blushed at the thought, "No...I'm just saying that he's way out of your league."

She looked up at Kikyo, "And I emphasize the word 'way'. He's way too good for you."

"Why you little-" Kikyo began, holding up a trembling fist.

Inuyasha walked in at that time with a grin, "You know what I just found out? Sango's going to kill Miroku sooner or later if he's the one who's going to teach her for this entire session."

Kagome laughed, "We'd better start digging his grave!"

He smiled to no one in particular, "So where were we? Oh, yeah. Kagome, you're next."

"Sucker," Kagome whispered to Kikyo as she walked past her. She stood in front of Inu Yasha and cracked her knuckles. "Get ready to lose, jerk."

"In your dreams," he got into a fighting stance again.

She did the same.

* * *

"I can't believe I signed up for this," Sango gritted through clenched teeth. "It's like a waste of time. You're SO lucky Inuyasha came in here right after you groped me again! I was about to kick your sorry ass..."

Miroku was kneeling down in front of her, rubbing his red cheek.

"Would you stop it with the slapping?" he asked.

"Fine," she huffed. She held out a fist.

PUNCH

Miroku fell onto the wooden floor, unconscious. Sango stood above him, laughing with triumph.

* * *

"You're still the weak wench that I remember," Inuyasha smirked, cornering Kagome in 

Kagome panted heavily, "For the last freakin' time. My name is Kagome!"

"But I like 'wench' better," Inuyasha said innocently. "It suits you."

"Why you...JERK!" she hollered and punched him in the face (which she seems to usually do a lot...hm?).

"How dare you hurt Yashie!" Kikyo jumped up from the floor. "Darling, beat her up!"

The two looked at her and shouted together, "Shut UP!"

She sat down again with a whine. Inuyasha faced Kagome again.

"I can see that you don't remember what I told you yesterday," he narrowed his eyes at her. "You have to control your anger. Anger just makes you lose the fight."

"Well, you're making me mad on purpose you dimwit!" she spat. She jumped when a fist crashed into the wall beside her head.

He stared down at her with a smug grin, "Ha, scared you, didn't I?"

'That's it,' Kagome thought. She clamped her eyes shut and screamed, "MIROKU! SANGO! INUYASHA IS TRYING TO RAPE ME! EEEEEEEEK! GET AWAY FROM ME YOU RAPING BASTARD!!!!! EEEEEK!"

Inuyasha stepped away from her and glared, "Do you REALLY think they're going to buy that?"

Miroku and Sango stumbled into the room (...apparently, they did :p).

"Inuyasha, I know my cousin is hot and all, but you shouldn't go too far," Miroku shook his head.

"Is he really trying to rape you, Kagome?" Sango asked, cracking her knuckles. "Because if he is, I'll gladly beat him up for you."

"I WASN'T TRYING TO RAPE HER!" Inuyasha roared. "The wench is lying!"

His eyes landed on her again. She was whistling, avoiding him.

"You liar," he growled.

Kagome stopped whistling and countered, "You jerk."

"Wench."

"Bastard."

"Bitch!"

"SON of a bitch!"

"Asshole!"

Miroku and Sango sweat-dropped as the two bickered on and on and on.

"Hey, Miroku," Sango blinked. "There's someone lying over there on the floor across the room."

Miroku looked to where she was pointing. Sango was right.

Kikyo had fainted when she heard Kagome shout that she was getting raped by Inuyasha.

A/N: **=D** AHAHAHAHAHA. The slut fainted! Hm, speaking of her...I better come up with a new title for her...I've used 'slut' for two of my stories already and I don't want to use it again...oh, well, I'll think about it.

That scene where Kikyo and Kagome were fighting at the beginning of the school day seemed AWFULLY familiar...-looks around- Well would you look at that! My other fics have scenes just like it! **:p**

Anyways, I really meant it when I said that Kagome would be having a flirtatious instructor, and this chapter and the previous one proved it. Fluff isn't gonna happen in a while...but it will. Sooner or later. You just don't get INTO a relationship right away...you have to know each other first. So, Inu/Kag, Mir/San have to know more about each other before I'm satisfied to let fluff happen.

Okay, **keep this in mind**: in this fic, Inu Yasha is HUMAN. Violet eyes, black hair, no claws, no puppy ears (sadly...), etc. BUT he will still have that attitude, just wait. You'll see what I mean.

Well, enough chatting.

Please review! **:D**


	3. Saturday Chores

**Shrine Of Love**

****

A/N: Anyways, I'm NOT having writer's block, so don't worry! I've just been busy

**:p**

Chapter 3: Saturday Chores

The days passed quickly by and soon, it was Saturday.

Kagome watched her mother drive away and then climbed up the stairs to Houshi Shrine grumpily, clinging onto the straps of her small backpack that were draped over one of her shoulders, "I can't believe I have to come here on a Saturday! A SATURDAY!"

She looked up at the late afternoon sky when she reached the final step, "WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS?!!!!!!"

"You just made everyone here turn deaf, that's what!" a voice snapped.

Kagome looked in front of her, "Oh...hey."

Inuyasha was holding a broom in his hands. He glared at her, "Are you done screaming?"

"Yes."

"Feh," he turned away and resumed his interrupted sweeping.

Kagome stared at him.

'He looks so different in casual clothes,' she bit her lip, still staring. 'Usually, I just see him in the school uniform or the black training outfit...'

Inuyasha was wearing a red t-shirt and blue baggy jeans...he'd also tied his black hair up into a low pony tail.

He stopped sweeping and glanced at her, "By the way...what are you doing here on a SATURDAY?"

She stopped her gawking and looked away, "My mom wants me to come here every Saturday from now on to help with the shrine cleaning."

He looked at her suspiciously, "Or is it because you can't resist me?"

Kagome's jaw dropped, "WHAT?!"

"I was joking," he flashed her grin. "But you know it's true."

"Yeah, sure," she replied sarcastically. "I can't keep my hands off you."

"That is SO true," Inuyasha said thoughtfully.

"I was joking!" Kagome said back with a horrified expression.

"Sure you were," he chuckled and looked down at the floor again as he swept.

Silence.

"Are you going to do anything else after this?" Kagome asked shyly.

Inuyasha nodded grimly, "Laundry, grocery shopping, and cooking."

"I'll help you," she quickly offered.

He stopped sweeping, and stared at her as if she were a lunatic.

"What?!" Kagome demanded.

"You want...to help do chores?" Inuyasha asked, bewildered.

"Yeah, so what if I do?"

"Suit yourself," he shrugged. "I'm finishing this up. You go to Miroku and ask for the list of stuff we need to buy."

"Okay!" she chirped and then walked past him to the office.

* * *

Inuyasha gazed after her.

'She looks pretty cute with that short skirt and sweater...' he thought. He blinked.

"Oh, Kami," he gaped. "What did I just think?!"

* * *

"Are you sure it's safe to leave my stuff at the shrine?" Kagome asked curiously as she put on a helmet.

"I'm sure," Inuyasha assured her. "Miroku's may be a pervert, but he's no thief...well, most of the time."

"Wow, that's SO reassuring."

"Just shut up and get on. We don't have all day."

She climbed onto his red motorcycle and sat behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

He blushed for a mere second and then rode off.

She laughed with pleasure for a short moment and then rested her head on his back.

Kagome blinked when she felt him stiffen.

"Inuyasha?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"

"No," he replied quickly while his mind shouted, 'Of course there's something wrong! I'M FALLING FOR YOU!'

* * *

"So what are you making today?" Kagome asked Inuyasha as he pushed the cart slowly.

"Oden," he said simply.

She stopped in her tracks. He stopped pushing and peered at her.

"What?" he asked.

"D-Did you say oden?" she squeaked and then squealed. "I LOVE oden!"

He sweat-dropped, "Then I suppose you know all the ingredients."

"Oh, I know them by heart!"

Inuyasha stared at her as she pranced down the aisle to get the ingredients while singing, "Oden, oden, I love oden!"

He sighed, "Is it just me, or is she really hyper?"

* * *

Inuyasha led Kagome next door afterwards.

Kagome blinked when she looked at the sign.

"Rin's Ice Cream?" she asked. "Are we buying ice cream for Miroku too?"

He laughed, "No, just for us."

He held the door open for her as she walked in and followed her soon after. They walked up to the counter.

A little girl with black hair and brown eyes stood at the counter...well, actually, she was sitting on a high stool at the counter.

"Ohayo, Inuyasha!" the girl grinned. "Welcome to Rin's Ice Cream!"

"Hi, Rin," he greeted.

Kagome's jaw dropped, "You're Rin?! Do you own this place?"

"Yup!" the younger girl piped.

"Technically, my older brother does," Inuyasha watched the little girl smile up at them. "He bought it right after we moved here in August...so it's sort of a 50/50."

"How does your brother know Rin?" Kagome asked, confused.

"He adopted her," he explained. "For an eight year old, she's pretty smart and mature for her age...Rin always works here on Saturdays for fun and to get extra money for her weekly allowance."

Inuyasha bent down and whispered in her ear, "However...it seems like DAILY allowance to me. He gives her money everyday. She's becoming spoiled."

Kagome giggled.

"So what can I get you?" Rin asked, oblivious to what Inuyasha had just said.

"We'll take the house special today," he took his wallet and gave her 5 dollars.

She punched a few buttons on the cash register, handed back his change and hollered, "One house special!"

A girl's voice exclaimed in the back, "Yes, miss!"

Rin's eyes flickered toward the entrance door and then back to Inuyasha, "No one else is coming...so why don't you tell me about your pretty friend over there?"

He raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Pretty friend?"

Kagome looked away, blushing furiously, "Eh..."

"Oh..." Inuyasha laughed. "You mean Kagome..."

"Who else would I mean?" Rin rolled her eyes. She fixed her eyes on Kagome. "So...your name is Kagome. This is the first time I've EVER seen Inuyasha come here with a girl..."

"My mom wants me to help out at Houshi Shrine on Saturdays now...to help with chores..." Kagome said quietly. "And I was helping Inuyasha with the shopping today..."

"So I'm going to be seeing you here on Saturdays from now on, won't I?" Rin smiled.

"I guess..."

"That's wonderful!" Rin clapped her hands together. "Oh, Inuyasha, I'm so happy that you've finally found a girlfriend!"

"What?!" he and Kagome both shouted out at the same time.

"Kagome isn't my girlfriend!" Inuyasha protested.

"...yet," Rin grinned evilly. "She isn't your girlfriend YET."

Kagome blushed again and thought, 'It DOES seem like we're dating at this moment...'

"Here's one house special, Miss Rin," a girl carefully handed Rin a large sundae who slid it over the counter to Inuyasha.

"Hey, Inuyasha," Rin giggled as she handed him two spoons. "Did you know that I gave you a discount?"

"What for?" he muttered.

"Think of it as a 'congrats'," she winked and ran off to the back before he could say anything.

After Inuyasha fully registered what she had just said, he shouted toward the back, "For the last time, Kagome's NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!!!!!!"

* * *

Kagome dug her spoon into the almost finished ice cream and glanced across the table at Inuyasha with a blush.

He caught her and asked flatly, "What?"

She looked away quickly, "Nothing..."

Inuyasha's mouth twitched into a smile, "Are you blushing?!"

"No..."

"Oh, help me Kami, you are!"

Kagome stuck out her tongue before sticking her spoon in her mouth, "Shut up, you jerk."

"Look who's talking, wench," he gave her a look of amusement. "...You know...you're very fiery."

"And what about it?" she asked with a bored tone.

Inuyasha smirked, "I like a girl with fire...that's what."

Kagome nearly choked on her ice cream, "Na-Nani?!"

"You heard what I said," he gazed at her with an expression she'd never seen on his face before. "I'm more interested in girls that are more challenging to get."

"Are you saying that you like me?" she breathed. "That you're interested in me or something?"

"Maybe, maybe not," Inuyasha replied innocently.

"I'll take that as a no," Kagome sat back in her chair with a sigh.

"What if I said yes?" he smirked.

She stiffened.

"Jeez, I'm joking!" Inuyasha shook his head.

"Maybe I should start taking everything you say as a joke from now on..." Kagome mumbled. "You're never serious."

"That's not true!"

"Yes it is..." she looked up at him.

"Feh..."

Kagome felt herself smile and then asked, "Inuyasha?"

"What?"

"I have a question for you," she stated.

"So, spill it."

"Did you really move here just a month ago?" Kagome eyed him warily.

Inuyasha straightened in his seat, "Yeah...my brother didn't really like the area where we lived in because of all of the gangs there, so he wanted to move to a more peaceful and quiet place. Miroku lived nearby me too...and it was a big coincidence that he was moving to the same city that I was moving to."

"So you just changed cities?" she asked curiously. He nodded.

"My brother owns a corporation...well I own it too, but only a little..until next year or so," Inuyasha answered. "The city that we used to live in is pretty near...so it doesn't take long for my brother to drive to work each day. Overall, I'd say that we're practically rich...although, I suppose I don't look that way, huh?"

Kagome nodded.

"Anyways, about Miroku," he continued. "He and his parents moved to the shrine that we now all know as Houshi Shrine at the end of last month. Then, his parents left to visit relatives and blah blah blah...You should know the rest by now."

Inuyasha stuck his spoon in his mouth and eyed Kagome from across the table.

"Well, thanks for telling me," she avoided his eyes and began to toy with her spoon.

"Don't mention it...done eating?"

"Yup."

"Then let's leave."

* * *

:o:O:o:O:o: Back At The Shrine :o:O:o:O:o:

Inuyasha slammed the lid to the washing machine down and wiped his forehead.

"Now all that's left to finish is cooking," he murmured as he turned the huge knob and pressed it. The machine didn't make a single sound. He kicked it, "Stupid thing...work already!"

It didn't make a single sound.

He growled and kicked it harder this time, "I said WORK!"

It let out a small 'clunk' and then the sound of the clothes being washed inside was heard.

Inuyasha 'humph'ed and walked towards the kitchen. A delicious aroma drifted in the air as he neared it.

"Looks like Kagome already finished the oden..." he closed his eyes with a smile and listened to her humming.

'She has a really nice voice...' he thought.

Inuyasha's eyes opened again and he stepped into the kitchen. Kagome spun around and said cheerfully, "Inuyasha, would you come here and taste some of this for a sec?"

She handed him a pair of chopsticks and a small bowl filled with oden.

"Now be honest and be nice," Kagome gave him a stern look.

"How do I know you're not trying to poison me?" he asked and earned a glare from her. He stuck some of the content into his mouth and chewed slowly. He paused. "Oh my god, you're a better chef than I am..."

She beamed at him, "Really? Is it that good?"

"It's great..."

"That's fantastic," Kagome smiled happily. "You think Miroku will like it?"

"I'm positive," Inuyasha assured her and set the bowl and chopsticks on the counter. "Now hurry up and finish cooking the oden."

She gave him another smile before doing just that.

Kagome's breath caught in her throat when he settle beside her and began cutting vegetables.

'It feels like we're husband and wife...' her cheeks tinted with pink.

"Inuyasha..." she said, stirring the oden carefully. "I was wondering...if we ever have extra time after the chores and before we do training?"

Kagome waited uneasily as he stopped his chopping and stood thoughtfully.

"I don't see why not..." he answered.

She smiled at him with delight, "Oh, thank you so much!"

"Feh," he snorted. "I'm doing it for the money."

(Sure.......)

* * *

:o:O:o:O:o: A Few Minutes Later :o:O:o:O:o:

After the two had changed into their training outfits, they settled in the dojo.

"What time are you going home again?" Inuyasha asked as he dodged a punch.

Kagome withdrew her fist and held it back, "Well... after we're all done eating dinner..then my mom should be here to pick me up."

She sent her fist flying toward his face. He blocked and swiped a leg at her feet. She stumbled, but remained standing.

Kagome glared at him, "REAL nice..stop talking to me! You're trying to distract me, aren't you?"

"I'm just curious, that's all," he answered indirectly.

She growled and punched him hard against the cheek. One of his legs lashed out and swiped her legs again. She fell onto her knees.

"What did I tell you about anger on the first day?" he winced and dropped his fighting stance. Inuyasha rubbed his cheek slowly and continued, "Think about this: when you let out your hand, withdraw your anger. When you let out your anger, withdraw your hand..."

Kagome looked up at him, her eyes twitching, "What...are...you...saying?!"

"Anger can sometimes make you win the fight, but it's better to not fight with it...it can take over you."

"What do you mean?"

"You might see someday.."

(Keep that in mind! It'll be important in another chapter!)

"Kagome. Inuyasha," Miroku walked into the room and stopped in front of them. "It's time for dinner."

"We'll be right there," Inuyasha gave him a nod. "Just go and set the table...which is the only thing you're good at helping with."

Kagome giggled.

"Oh, please," Miroku rolled his eyes. "I can help with lots of other things too!"

"Like what?" Kagome and Inuyasha asked simultaneously with an amused look on their faces.

"Eh...eh," he replied nervously. "Um....no fair, you two are ganging up on me!"

He shook his head, "Well, go and change before the food gets cold."

With that, Miroku turned around and walked out the door.

"Not only will the food get cold..." Inuyasha snorted. "The food will all be eaten by that lech too..."

* * *

Miroku and Inuyasha stared at Kagome as she wolfed down her bowl of oden in less than a minute.

"Don't you think you should slow down, Kagome?" Miroku watched in awe.

"Yeah...you might get heart burn..." Inuyasha let out a small laugh.

"Nope," Kagome shook her head merrily. She scooped some more oden into her bowl and continued eating with a delightful smile, "I lwove ohden..."

"We can tell..." the two boys sweat-dropped together.

* * *

After the three teenagers were done eating, Kagome left the dining room and went to the kitchen to do the dishes while Inuyasha cleaned up the table. Miroku settled in the living room and watched TV while he "digested" for a few minutes.

"What a lazy dude," Kagome snorted as she scrubbed. "And HE'S supposed to be the one who's running the shrine while his parents are away...but Inuyasha is practically doing everything around here...I feel so sorry for him..."

"Aw...you feel sorry for me?" Kagome jumped at his voice.

Inuyasha chuckled and dumped the last of the dirty dishes into the sink.

"So what if I do?" Kagome bit her lip and started on scrubbing the new pile.

"That's just sweet of you to say," he shrugged.

"I see..."

Inuyasha's eyes flickered over to the washed dishes, "...I'll help with the rinsing."

She smiled, "Thanks."

* * *

Miroku snoozed away on the couch while the reporter on the television droned on and on about news events.

:.:Dream Sequence:.:

_"Wow, what a wonderful day at the beach..." Miroku sighed happily. His eyes wandered around. "Oh, my...is it just my imagination or is that a gorgeous gal?"_

_"Miroku-kun!" the girl called out and ran to him (you can visualize how ever she looks like for yourself...). He noted her nice curves._

_"Now, now," he grinned as she clobbered him with a hug. "Take it easy."_

_"But, Miroku-kun!" she pouted. "I LOVE you!"_

_The girl pulled back and kissed him soundly. Miroku complied with pleasure. After a few seconds, she pushed away with a smile and hugged him again, "Come on, Miroku-kun, there's a hut over there...let's go in there and have some...fun."_

_Miroku stared at the hut that she pointed to and turned his view back on her. He gazed at her hungrily. He sighed...he knew better (he's not THAT perverted...or is he?)._

_"You know, I love you too, but don't you think we should be taking it a little bit slower?" he murmured and hugged her back._

:.:End Of Dream Sequence:.:

SLAP

Miroku's eyes blinked open, "Huh?"

Kagome stood over him, huffing with anger, her cheeks red in embarrassment.

Inuyasha stood at the doorway of the room, laughing uncontrollably, "Oh my god, Miroku. What were you dreaming?!"

Miroku straightened up on the sofa, "What are you talking about? What happened?"

He turned to Kagome, "Why did you slap me?"

"You reached out and hugged me!" his cousin snapped.

"I did?"

Inu Yasha walked over to them, "You didn't just hug her..."

"Oh, Kami, what else did I do?" Miroku's eyes widened.

Kagome let out a shriek as Inuyasha pulled her close to him and hugged her tightly.

"You know, I love you too, but don't you think we should be taking it a little bit slower?" he repeated mockingly what Miroku had said earlier. Little did Inuyasha know that Kagome's face had reddened again.

"I actually said that out loud?!" Miroku gasped with a horrified look on his face. "I am SO sorry!"

Kagome hastily pushed away from Inuyasha with a scowl, "I'm getting out of here."

She strolled out of the room.

Inuyasha and Miroku glanced at each other and then hurried after her.

"My mom is SO going to hear it from me when we're at home," they heard her growl.

The boys winced as they watched and heard the front door open and slam shut.

"Jeez, what was SHE so worked up about?" Miroku frowned.

"You're a bigger baka than I thought you were," his best friend rolled his eyes beside him. "Well, I'd better head home too, it's getting late."

"Okay."

"See you on Monday."

"You too."

Inuyasha walked to the front door and noticed that Kagome's backpack was still hanging on one of the hooks on the wall.

'She forgot it...' he thought and opened up the door. He caught a glimpse of her standing impatiently at the bottom of the stairs.

Without realizing what he was doing, Inuyasha swiped the handbag up before he walked out of the shrine house and slammed the door shut.

* * *

Kagome mumbled to herself as she waited for her mother to come.

"She's late," she scowled. "And it's getting dark."

"Oi," a voice said behind her.

Kagome jumped and whipped around, ending up being face to face with Inuyasha.

"Stop sneaking up on me like that!" she said with exasperation. "It scares the hell out of me."

"Well, once you start taking your training seriously, you'll be able to sense a person come up to you from behind," he shot back. "AND you'll be able to walk so quietly that NO ONE would be able to hear YOU."

"Well, for your information," she countered. "I AM taking my training seriously! And I'm not supposed to learn all that stuff you said until I'm a month into the session! It's easier said than done! And WHY are you out here?"

"I'm going home."

"Well, you could've just walked straight past me and ride away on the motorcycle of yours!"

"Well, I just wanted to give you your backpack that you forgot in the shrine!" he shoved her handbag into her hands.

Kagome blinked in confusion as she held her backpack, "Really?"

Suddenly the headlights of a car shined onto the two teenagers and blinded them.

"Kagome!" Mrs. Higurashi called out through the open passenger window of her van. "Get in!"

"My mom's here..." Kagome's eyes wandered over to Inuyasha again. "Well, thanks for..."

Her voice trailed off as she watched him lean over. Kagome held her breath as she felt his lips press against her cheek tenderly and then pull back a half second later.

"No problem," he looked at her amusedly as her mouth hung open. "It's my job to help people who have memory loss. See you at school on Monday."

Inuyasha walked over to his motorcycle, which was parked right in front of Mrs. Higurashi's van, and stuck on his helmet.

Kagome spun around and shouted, "I DO NOT have memory loss!"

If he had heard, he showed no sign of it as he rode away. She stomped her foot with frustration and made her way to the van.

"So, who's the boy?" her mother inquired with a sly smile. "Your boyfriend? That was real sweet of him to give you a kiss good-bye...except, it would've been better on the lips, wouldn't you think?"

Kagome slammed the door on her side shut, "He's NOT my boyfriend."

"...yet," Mrs. Higurashi winked. "He's not your boyfriend YET."

Her daughter stared at her in horror and groaned, "I'm reliving my afternoon all over again...someone said something similar to us when we were buying ice cream."

Kagome slumped in her seat and as her mother drove off, 'Rin and Mom are so alike...'

A/N: Love is in the air! Hehe. O.o Wow, this was a long chapter. Please review!!!!!


	4. Anonymous Flutist

**Shrine Of Love**

****

A/N: You guys all have lovely suggestions for Kikyo's new "title" :D Does "whore" seem good to you? :p

Anyways, I'm sorry for the long update...I've been editing all the chapters...by the way, some of you suggested some things how to get the fluff started, but believe me -evil smirk-, I already have some things in mind...

* * *

:O:

VOCABULARY

Hakama- a divided skirt

How do I explain the whole outfit that's going to appear in the story...hm, well, you know the miko outfit? The bottom half is like that...except that the pants/long skirts are navy blue and the sleeves of the top half aren't wide and 'kimono-y'...just like the sleeves of a regular shirt, except a little loose...by the way, all the students are wearing them. It doesn't matter what gender they are...for example, for those of you who've seen/read Ranma ½, there's Tatewaki Kuno and he wears a skirtish thing...so if you've seen it, you'll know what I mean. Oh wait! Have you ever seen Grandpa's shrine outfit in the anime/manga? Well, it looks like that.

"Hai!"- when someone launches an attack as they fight, they sometimes shout this...it's like a battle cry...I think. Hai can also mean "yes", but not in this case.

:O:

* * *

Chapter 4: Anonymous Flutist

"Y!" Yura shouted. "A!"

"S!" Kagura yelled. "H!"

"I!" Kanna screamed. "E!"

Kikyo leapt up into the air and hollered, "GOOOOOO YASHIE!!!!!!"

"You have got to be kidding me," Inuyasha stared in horror. "Just wonderful...Kikyo and her friends made it into the cheerleading club."

"But Inuyasha, you should be honored that girls are cheering for you," Miroku nudged him.

"Are you serious?! Why would I want that twit to cheer for me?! And why are they even cheering for me when I'm not in any sport teams?!"

"You have a point," Miroku nodded. Inuyasha groaned.

The two boys straightened when they heard two familiar girls giggling behind them.

"Hey, guys," Sango piped to them.

"Looks like Kikyo and her friends made it into the cheerleading club," Kagome remarked, jabbing a finger into Inuyasha's back and grinned when he flinched. "Ooh...I feel sooo sorry for you, Inuyasha!"

He turned around and narrowed his eyes, "Why do I have a feeling that you're feeling the complete opposite?"

"It's just you," she shooed a hand at him. "Now shut up, we have to get to class."

"You can't tell me to shut up!"

"Oh, yeah?!"

The two started bickering.

"Do they argue everyday?" Sango whispered to Miroku.

"Unfortunately, yes," Miroku nodded. He winked. "But you know the saying: The more two people fight, the more they care about each other."

* * *

Kagome let her arrow fly through air and waited for the satisfying 'thwonk'.

"I'm so glad I joined the archery club," she smiled. "I haven't done archery since I was little."

She took another arrow out of her quiver on her back and drew it slowly. Kagome closed an eye and aimed for the target.

"So, Higurashi," a voice sneered.

Kagome let go of her arrow, which grazed past the painted circular board in the distance. She turned around and glared.

"What?" she asked coldly.

Kikyo yawned, "Your 'great aim' is wavering, idiot."

"And do you know why?" she shot back. "Because of YOU."

"Humph," Kikyo held up her chin and walked away. "Whatever."

Kagome rolled her eyes and walked away from the target range, her bow tightly clutched in her hand.

"I'll check up on Sango," she murmured and walked over to a large section of the huge training ground (for all the weaponry clubs) that had so many trees that it could have been considered a small forest.

"HIRAIKOTSU!" a voice yelled. Kagome shrieked and ducked as a huge boomerang narrowly spun past her and back again to its owner.

A giggle was heard when she opened her eyes again.

"Sorry, Kagome," Sango laughed. "I didn't know you were here."

"Um, it's okay," Kagome shook her head. "I just wanted to check up on you."

"Well, I'm doing fine," her friend assured her. Sango looked down at her outfit that every member of the weaponry clubs had to wear and dusted off her dark navy hakama. "I love clubs with weaponry."

"So do I," Kagome agreed. "Well, my break is almost up. I'll see you later."

"Yeah. See ya."

Kagome walked off again, but this time, to different section. Like the previous section, this place was covered in trees. She walked toward the center of the trees where she heard applauses and whistling.

"Hm..." she halted to a stop right behind a row of sitting students.

A long shrill whistle was heard.

"Definitely a coach," she covered her ears.

"Begin!" she heard the coach shout.

Kagome noticed that the students at her feet were gripping swords.

'This is the katana club,' she realized and looked up with excitement.

Kagome spotted a person standing in the middle of a large circle of evenly spaced wooden logs.

"Hey, isn't that..." she blinked. "Inuyasha?"

She watched interestedly as he tightened his hold on his sword and sprang into action. He swiftly swung his sword at the logs, his sword becoming a blur.

'He's good...' Kagome breathed.

Inuyasha swung at one last log with a satisfied look.

"Hey, nothing happened..." a student muttered.

Inuyasha straightened and slid his sword into the scabbard at his waist.

Suddenly, the creak of a log was heard and everyone watched in awe as the top halves of the logs clattered to the ground, one at a time, as if they were dominos. An applause broke out.

Kagome clapped along with a smile.

Inuyasha walked over to the end of the row of students and spotted her. She held her breath as he stepped past the students and made his way toward her.

"What are you doing here?" he raised an eyebrow curiously.

"I was on a break," she said honestly.

"Was?" he asked.

"Um, I mean, am," she corrected herself. "I'm on a break."

He chuckled. She blushed.

"I'm impressed," Kagome said shyly. "You're really good with swords."

"You were watching?" Inuyasha questioned with a smug grin.

She fingered the wood on her bow, avoiding his laughing eyes, "Yeah..."

"You're so unpredictable," she heard him say. "Well, I have to get back before the coach catches me not sitting down. See you later, Kagome."

* * *

Inuyasha bit onto the paintbrush's wooden end as he eyed the painting canvas warily.

He dipped the brush into some green and then gently dabbed at his painting.

"There," he said with a smile. "The trees are done...now I'm finished."

"Okay, let's wrap it up for today," he heard Ms. Nazuna call out. "You've all done well for the first day in art club."

Inuyasha took his canvas off its easel and was the last student to hand it over to the teacher.

"Beautiful," Ms. Nazuna beamed as she stared down at his piece of art. "Great job. You're quite an artist."

"Thanks..." he looked away with embarrassment. "But really, it's nothing. I just like to paint and draw..."

"Do you want any sketching pads?" she asked. "I'd be more than glad to give you some."

He just nodded and followed her to her desk.

"You're one of the new students, aren't you?" Ms. Nazuna asked.

"Yeah," he replied.

"I'm impressed. I've never seen someone paint so beautifully before. How'd you learn?"

Inuyasha's mouth went dry. He answered hoarsely, "From my parents..."

An awkward silence filled the room.

"That's nice," she finally said, noticing the tension in his voice. "Well, here you go."

"Arigato," he bowed solemnly and went back to his seat to pack up all his things. Everyone except him and Ms. Nazuna had left. After he was done packing, Inuyasha slung his backpack over a shoulder and walked out the classroom door. The school day was over.

"Not bad, considering that I've been here for only two weeks," he glanced around in the almost empty hallways.

Inuyasha strolled past rooms as he made his way toward the school entrance/exit. However, when his ears caught onto a faint tune, he halted to a stop.

It was a flute.

He closed his eyes and listened quietly to the sweet song that was being played. Feelings and memories in his soul that had been locked up for years began to resurface...

'I could listen to this forever,' he found himself relaxing. Soon, a second flute joined in, and played in harmony with the first flute. Together, the two tunes formed an even sweeter tune...and made him feel peaceful this time.

The second flute stopped after a long moment, but the first flute still kept playing. After a few more seconds, the flutist, whoever they were, blew into the flute softer and softer until the song had fainted into nothing. Inuyasha's eyes opened again while he heard a teacher talking on the other side of the closed door of the classroom.

"Feh," he murmured to himself and resumed his walking again. "That was definitely the music club."

As Inuyasha stepped outside the school entrance doors, he spotted Miroku in the corner.

"Took you long enough," the young monk shook his head. "Did something happen?"

"My art teacher kept me after for a few minutes," Inuyasha told him partly. He sighed, "So, shouldn't we be walking to your shrine right now?"

Miroku shook his head again, "Kagome. Don't you remember? We should wait for her. It's what a gentleman would do."

"I wouldn't exactly call you a gentleman," his best friend snorted. "You're more of a hentai."

"Whatever, Inuyasha," Miroku rolled his eyes. "Anyways, Sango asked if she could walk to the shrine with all of us and-" His eyes flashed, "Well, would you look at that, here the two come now."

And sure enough, they were.

When the two girls finally reached them, and after greetings were exchanged, all four teenagers made their way to Houshi Shrine.

"Hey, Miroku," Kagome peered at her cousin. "Which clubs did you join?"

"The random weaponry club," he answered. "And the-"

Sango gasped in horror, "No way!!!!!!!"

Miroku, Kagome, and Inuyasha turned their heads and looked at her strangely.

"He's in the same club that I'm in!!!!!!!!" she shrieked. "No!!!!!! Are the heavens trying to make my life miserable????!!!!!"

Kagome gave her a playful push, "Yes, they are, Sango. Anyways, Miroku, what's the second club that you joined?"

"I didn't...join a second club," Miroku said hesitantly.

Kagome blinked, "You didn't?"

"No, I volunteered to help instruct beginners in the martial arts club," he replied slowly.

Miroku let out a yelp when she tugged at his ear and tweaked it.

"YOU HENTAI!" she shouted in his ear. "I know why you joined! It's because most of the members are girls, right?!"

"Eh..." he bit his lip.

"Oh, Kami, it IS!" Kagome yanked him down by his ear.

"OW, OW, OW! Let GO!" Miroku whimpered with pain.

"Come on, Kagome," Sango stifled a giggle. "Let him go."

Kagome straightened and marched ahead with Sango tailing her, "What an embarrassment for a cousin!"

"I have to agree with her on that one," Inuyasha smirked and nudged Miroku hard.

"So you're on her side now?" Miroku asked coldly. He called out to his cousin, "Hey, Kagome! What clubs did YOU join?!"

She turned her head and stuck out her tongue, "None of your business."

He let out a frustrated sigh, "Girls..."

"Boys..." Kagome answered in an equal tone.

Miroku shook his head and remained silent for the rest of the walk.

Inuyasha watched the two girls chatter in front of him and Miroku with boredom. He caught onto some of their conversation:

"...you sounded great with Ms. Kaede," Sango praised her friend. "You were so good!"

Kagome beamed back, "Thanks...I know you're going to play as good as me if you practice."

"I don't think so," Sango scoffed and smiled. "Since it's going to take a little while to reach the shrine, why don't you play a little for me?"

"Okay."

Inuyasha blinked as he watched Kagome reached into her backpack and fumbled around inside.

His breath caught in his throat when she pulled out a wooden flute.

"She can't be...it wasn't her, was it?" he sputtered.

Miroku gave him an odd look and didn't answer.

Inuyasha stared as Kagome pulled the flute up to her lips and blew into it gently. She was playing the same song that he'd heard earlier.

"It WAS her," he mumbled. "She was the flutist."

However, he wasn't complaining...afterall, he could get used to the music.

* * *

:o:O:o:O:o: Houshi Shrine :o:O:o:O:o:

"So," Kagome stated simply as she and Inuyasha sat in one of the rooms of the shrine's small dojo...waiting for Kikyo to finish changing into her training outfit.

"So?" Inuyasha mimicked.

She glared, "So...what do you plan on doing this Saturday?"

He laughed, "I know that YOU know what the answer is already."

"Shopping?"

"Yeah."

"Cooking?"

"Yup."

"Eating together with Miroku?"

"Like every other Saturday," Inuyasha nodded. He half smiled, "I was wondering...do you have your own bike?"

Kagome sat with a thoughtful expression.

"I think I do..." she replied slowly. "Yeah."

Inuyasha's smile grew a bit bigger, and he answered slyly, "That's great."

"How so?" Kagome sighed in boredom and glanced at the clock.

3:40.

'Man, Kikyo. Where the heck are you?!' she cursed mentally.

"You need the exercise," Inuyasha stated simply.

Kagome shot him glare. Was he calling her fat?! However, before she could say anything, he continued.

"It should help build your strength up. The last thing I want is for a student of mine to get even the tiniest out of shape. Riding on a motorcycle doesn't give you any exercise, but riding a bike does," Inuyasha shook his head. "No more of that. From now on, every Saturday, we're going to ride bikes when we go shopping."

Kagome pouted endlessly, "Oh, common!"

"Don't give me that puppy dog face," he rolled his eyes. "It isn't going to help y-"

"I'M HERE!" Kikyo slammed the door open. "Sorry I'm late!"

"You better be," Kagome glared at her. "You're late by 15 minutes!"

"I got here late," Kikyo shot back. "And I had to change you idiot."

"Okay, enough you two," Inuyasha stood up and cracked his knuckles. "This is nothing to fight over, but Kikyo, would you please try to get here a little EARLIER?"

"Anything for you, my sweet darling," Kikyo replied with a flirting voice.

Inuyasha and Kagome's eyes twitched.

'Oh, Kami...' they both thought with a disgusted look.

* * *

"Today, we're going to practice judo," Miroku announced. "Judo, meaning 'compliant way' uses mainly grappling techniques-"

"Shut up with the talk, I already know what it is," Sango got into position a few feet away from him. "And I already know how to do a little bit of it."

"Seriously?" Miroku rose an eyebrow. "Because judo is a pretty complex-"

'I'll shut his mouth up right now...' Sango rolled her eyes and ran towards him.

She hooked an arm around his neck, the other arm holding onto one of his arms. With one swift motion, Sango managed to swing Miroku over her hip and dumped him on the floor in front of her.

She straightened again.

Miroku stared up at her with frightened eyes, "Oh, Kami...you really WERE serious..."

* * *

"No, never put your thumb underneath your fingers during a punch...," Inuyasha shook his head.

"Sorry, it just slipped my mind," Kikyo chirped. "But I've punched with my thumb underneath my fingers before...and nothing happened."

Inuyasha glared at her and turned to the wall behind him.

Kagome blinked as he secured his fingers around one of the long mirrors in the dojo and lifted it off its hooks. A small, bare part of the wooden wall was now exposed. Inuyasha set the mirror onto the floor and motioned Kikyo to step forward.

He sighed, "Kikyo, punch the wall."

"What?" she asked dumbly.

Kagome covered her mouth as she giggled silently. She saw where this was going.

"Punch the wall," Inuyasha repeated. "And punch it hard with your thumb under your fingers."

"But I'll dent the wall!" Kikyo protested.

"I can assure you that you won't."

Kikyo frowned, but pulled a fist back.

She sent it flying at the wall.

CRACK

"OW!!" Kikyo screeched.

Kagome winced, "Ooh..."

The crack wasn't from the wall...it was from Kikyo's thumb.

"My thumb!" Kikyo cried. "My thumb! My thumb! MY THUMB!"

"What did I tell you?" Inuyasha said calmly, proving his point. He picked up the mirror and hooked it back onto the wall. "So next time. Think twice about punching with your thumb underneath your fingers before you end up with a broken thumb."

Kikyo continued wailing like a broken record, "My thumb...my thumb...my thumb...my thumb..."

A vein popped in his forehead, "Okay, Kikyo. You can stop your crying and sit over in the resting area."

Inuyasha turned to Kagome, "Alright, Kagome. Time to get your ass kicked again."

She walked up to him and gave him a not-this-time-pal look, "You talk PRETTY big...wouldn't it be embarrassing if you DIDN'T beat me this time?"

"I'm your sensei," he replied. "I'm always going to beat you."

Kagome rolled her eyes and got into position. She felt her adrenaline roaring in her body.

"Not this time," she muttered. She launched a roundhouse kick, "HAI!!"

Her foot grazed his cheek.

"Getting mad now, are we?" Inuyasha smirked.

"Shut up!" she answered sharply and jammed her elbow into his solar plexus.

Inuyasha bit his lip as all the air was knocked out of his lungs.

'Damn wench' he thought. 'She actually got better.'

He grabbed onto her shoulders and gave her a huge head butt. Kagome cried out in agony.

"J-jerk," she sputtered and let out another cry as he did an unexpected sweep kick, knocking her to the ground. Out of reflex, she rolled away from his foot's reach and jumped back up into a fighting stance...and charged. She sent another kick at him. It whistled past his skull. Inuyasha caught hold of her leg and flipped her. She shrieked as she fell onto the floor, her back facing up. Kagome felt the heel of his foot grind into one of her shoulders.

"Erg," she grunted as she tried to sit up. She gave up. As long as that foot was on her shoulder, she wouldn't be able get up.

"Thank you, Kagome, for the wonderful work out," she heard Inuyasha smirk above her. "I told you...I'll ALWAYS beat you."

He withdrew his foot and Kagome sat up, brushing herself off.

'Just wait until I'm months into the session...' she thought grimly. 'Then I'LL be saying that to YOU.'

* * *

Training ended early by 10 minutes. Kikyo and Sango (who had insisted on wanting to escape a certain perverted monk) had left right after changing, while Kagome headed to the pond near the dojo and sat down on the grass. She let out a sigh and drew up her knees, resting her head on them.

"I'm so exhausted..." she murmured and closed her eyes.

"Aww, look at that. Kagome is still sulking from her defeat," a teasing voice said behind her.

She growled, "Go away, Inuyasha."

He sat down beside her instead. Kagome noticed that he was still in his gi.

"So..." he said after a moment. "Still mad?"

"What do you think?" she mumbled. "I hate it when you beat me."

He laughed, "Well, I LOVE it when I beat you. You always get mad, but you're cuter when you are."

When she gave him an odd look, Inuyasha replayed what he just said in his mind and reddened, "I-I mean..."

Kagome blinked, "Yes?"

"Anyways," he cleared his voice. "Don't worry, I'm positive you'll beat me someday. I expect you to."

"What?" Kagome raised her head slightly.

"I'm your sensei," he said, looking at the water of the pond. "I can only teach you what I know...so someday, you should know as much as me...and that's when I'll be waiting for you to beat me."

Inu Yasha sighed, "And if you don't, I'm going to _very_ disappointed."

"I will," Kagome smiled.

"With a sensei like me, of course you will," he snorted. "All we've been doing now is practice...next week, we're going to start the REAL lessons."

A/N: Ooh...is that a threat? Anyways, I don't know if I told you guys already, but a few characters are going to be OOC in this fic...and I bet you can tell that Inuyasha is one of them. His more violent side will show up soon. I assure you.

More stuff happening soon! Please review!


	5. A Classic Tale Turned Feudal Style

**Shrine Of Love**

A/N: Hey, everyone! I know, it's been, what, a year since I update this fic? Hopefully, you guys are still alive from waiting (I'm still alive…but I have a feeling I'm going to be dead meat for not updating for a very, VERY long time…seriously, this broke my record of 3 months when I didn't update "More Than What She Seems"). I sincerely apologize for the long update, but the good news is: the storyline is complete and packed with lots of events that'll happen (the storyline was almost as long as the chapters of this story…oi.)

Anyways, thanks for waiting, everybody! You're all so funny in your reviews and you're the best reviewers that a writer here on could ask for!

* * *

:O:

VOCABULARY

_These words were suggested to be defined in this fic by Sour Schuyler (thank you for pointing them out):_

Sensei- teacher

Kami- animistic spirits worshiped by most people in Japan. Anything which was outside the ordinary and which possessed superior power/was awe-inspiring was called "kami". Now, of course, there's a lot more to this, but I'm just giving you guys the simple definition. **:-D**

:O:

* * *

Chapter 5: A Classic Tale Turned Feudal Style

It was drama class and most of the students in the room were staring past the teacher at the board with a taped long and wide piece of paper. Below the white sheet were vertical lines that led to and ended with blank boxes.

Ms. Kaede rambled on about plays.

Kagome, Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha all sat in their seats restlessly as she spoke.

"Today, we're going to begin rehearsing for the play in the school festival at the end of the school year," she said. "Now, since you're all the only 11th graders who signed up for drama class, your class will DEFINITELY be performing for the school summer festival at the end of the year."

"I didn't sign up for this…" Inuyasha murmured beside Miroku.

"Like I said before…they must have run out of room in the other available classes when we enrolled here," Miroku shrugged and said quietly back.

"You kids won't get the complex stories such as Romeo and Juliet," Ms. Kaede said gently.

Some girls let out, "Aw man…"

Most of the boys rolled their eyes. Including Inuyasha. Miroku was the only one who frowned in disappointment.

"…that story is already taken by the seniors," Ms. Kaede continued. "Instead, I've decided for all of you to do the story of Sleeping Beauty."

Miroku's frown turned into a grin. Some girls clapped and most of the boys groaned…including Inuyasha.

"I hope I get the part of the prince," Miroku nudged his best friend. "And maybe Sango'll get the part of the princess."

Inuyasha mumbled incoherently to himself.

"And now…" Ms. Kaede announced. "If all the boys would stand up and write their name in any blank box on the left side of the board, and if all the girls would stand up and write their name in any blank box on the right side of the board."

All the students stood up and jostled around. Inuyasha kept himself from cursing out loud when a boy stepped on his foot. He snorted when he saw Miroku sign his name in the first blank box of the left side.

"I'm thinking he's the only boy who wants to do this play…" he sighed, standing in the back of the crowd. Somebody suddenly bumped hard into him. They toppled onto the floor together.

"Watch where you're going next time you-" he started, sitting up. Kagome glared back at him.

"Don't get mad at me!" she protested. "Get mad at Kikyo! She shoved me!"

Inuyasha glanced past her and saw that Kikyo was about 7 feet away.

"She's WAY far from us," he glared back. "Don't lie. I know you bumped into me on purpose!"

"Now why would I do that! Don't you think Kikyo could have moved away after she pushed me?" she hissed and stood up. She walked away with a 'humph'.

Inuyasha shook his head and looked at the left side of the board. There was only one blank slot left. He grimly wrote his name in it and went back to his seat. Kagome was the last person to write her name. Inuyasha watched her scribble her name messily in the last box of the right side of the board. When she walked back to her seat and slumped down in her chair, Ms. Kaede pulled the sheet of white paper down. The board now revealed another row of boxes, except these boxes were filled in with the roles of the play.

A shrill shriek filled the air.

Kikyo was screaming her head off, "_I'M THE EVIL WITCH!_"

'Suits her just perfectly,' Inuyasha thought.

"Kikyo, quiet down NOW," Ms. Kaede ordered sternly. After the teenage girl did so, she continued, "You are all stuck with those parts. There will be no changes."

"Aww…" Miroku moaned softly. "I'm the dad of the princess."

"I don't give a damn about this whole play," Inuyasha murmured.

"Really?" Miroku smiled slyly. "Not even if your role is the prince?"

"Say what?"

"You got the part of the prince."

"Oh, Kami…are you serious!" Inuyasha's eyes flew over to the slot where he wrote his name and then traveled up to the slot above.

Inuyasha Takahashi……prince.

"Heck no…" he whispered. Miroku suddenly turned to him with a huge grin.

"Inuyasha! Sango's going to be the princess's mother!" he said excitedly. "That means…she's going to play as my wife!"

Ms. Kaede cleared her throat, "Now, if I may have the two major stars of the play come up here. The prince and princess."

Her eyes scanned the board, "Inuyasha Takahashi…and Kagome Higurashi."

The room fell silent.

Miroku turned to Inuyasha, his eyes glistening slyly, "It's fate, dude. You're meant to be with my cousin."

Inuyasha stood up, a blush creeping into his cheeks. When he reached Ms. Kaede, he avoided Kagome's eyes. She did the same to him.

"Now, I want you two to shake hands because the both of you are going to have to cooperate a lot during this play," Ms. Kaede chuckled. "And you're going to both have to act as LOVERS."

They both reddened.

"T-this is ridiculous," Inuyasha stammered. "I don't want to be a part of any dumb romance play made up from a long time ago!"

"Ah…but that's where things get interesting," Ms. Kaede smiled. "We're going to add some major twists...but I'll explain them…AFTER you two shake hands."

The two teenagers hesitantly held out their hands.

"Okay, that's good, now SHAKE," Ms. Kaede ordered, and turned away to write down the roles of everyone in class on a piece of paper. "And sit down afterward."

As they shook hands, Inuyasha blinked when Kagome gave his hand a small squeeze. He opened his mouth to speak, but clamped it shut when she gently slipped her hand out of his and walked back to her seat.

'What was that about?' Inuyasha wondered as he sat down beside Miroku again.

"Alright," Ms. Kaede cleared her throat, getting ready to give an explanation. "As you know, Sleeping Beauty is a story about a beautiful princess who has a curse inflicted on her by an evil witch when she was born…and then it was decided that the princess would be raised by three fairies at the occasion until the princess was 16. And when she is 16, she meets a prince in the woods and they fall in love."

Miroku smirked quietly as he looked back and forth between Inuyasha and Kagome.

"The prince happens to be the same one whom the princess was to marry since she was a baby…but they both didn't know that," Ms. Kaede continued. "When the princess was to be brought back to the castle and her parents, the evil witch began her curse and the princess pricked her finger on a spindle...causing her to fall into a deep sleep until she received true love's kiss…instead of dying, which was originally intended by the witch. Meanwhile, the prince heads back to the woods to find his love. The three good fairies realize that he was the princess's true love. The evil witch finds him first and tries to keep him away from the castle. At the end, the prince manages to defeat her with the help of the three fairies and then hurries into the castle. And there…finds the princess, kneels down beside her and kisses her-"

"I'm not going to have to kiss Kagome, am I?" Inuyasha suddenly asked out loud.

"Well, I'll tell you this," Ms. Kaede responded, beginning to pace back and forth. "The best play gets a small award…and for a play to be the best, the play must be complete."

She stopped in front of Inuyasha, "And I can tell you one thing. The seniors playing Juliet and Romeo are refusing to kiss…so you have a slightly greater chance of getting the award…however, if you two ALSO refuse to kiss…well, who knows who'll get the award then."

Miroku raised his hand, "Ms. Kaede, what's the award?"

She gave him a firm look, "That's for me to know and you to find out."

Ms. Kaede turned back to Inuyasha, "So, are you up to it? YOU'RE the one who has to kiss Kagome. It all depends on you...and I can assure you that some of your classmates would all be very disappointed if your class didn't win."

Inuyasha glanced around and gulped when he noticed everyone staring threateningly at him.

Ms. Kaede cleared her throat, "Ahem, anyways, instead of a medieval setting, we're going to have a feudal era setting instead."

Several people in the class began making positive remarks about the idea.

"That's, like, so cool!" a girl squealed nearby. "That means that there's gonna be, like, sword-fighting and stuff! Action and romance mixed together!"

Inuyasha leaned back in his chair, his arms resting underneath his head. His face twisted into a scowl. Even if there was going to be sword fighting, nothing in the play sounded "so cool". Especially the part where he had to kiss Kagome.

* * *

:o:O:o:O:o: Lunch :o:O:o:O:o:

Inuyasha sat comfortably on the branch and rested against the tree.

"Hopefully drawing takes my mind off all this stuff," he murmured. He readied his sharp pencil and held it over the blank sketch pad.

"Heads up!" a familiar voice called out.

An apple flew towards him. He caught it single-handedly. Inuyasha's eye twitched as he looked down. Kagome smiled cheerfully back at him.

"Would you LEAVE ME ALONE!" he snapped. "I'm trying to draw!"

She made a face of interest, "Ooh. You like drawing?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

She didn't answer immediately. Instead, Kagome walked up to the tree and jumped up towards the closest branch near the ground. She successfully caught hold of it. Next, with a little difficulty, she swung back and forth with her feet off the ground and managed to land on a sitting position on the branch.

Inuyasha looked on in amusement.

He watched Kagome as she sighed and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "So, when did you learn to draw?" she asked.

Kagome peered up expectantly at her martial arts teacher. Unfortunately, he didn't give her an answer. He just gave her a long stare and started sketching rapidly away on a sketchpad.

"Inuyasha?" she stated.

He still gave no answer.

"Hello? Did you hear me?" Kagome asked sharply.

"You know, you have a nice figure," Inuyasha finally answered.

Kagome felt a blush creeping up in her cheeks, _Man, he really knows how to get to me._

"…and a nice face," she heard him continue. "All you need to work on is that awful attitude of yours."

She glared at him, "Well, _you_ shouldn't be the one talking!"

Inuyasha flipped the sketchbook closed and met her gaze head on, "I know, I _shouldn't_."

Kagome blinked as he slung his backpack onto his back, holding the sketchbook underneath one arm. Much to her surprise, Inuyasha effortlessly jumped down to her branch and barely shook it when he landed.

"Maybe we can help each other with our major attitude problems?" he smirked with a challenging look in his eyes.

"Maybe," Kagome replied, paused, and then said. "You didn't answer my question, Inuyasha."

"I learned how to draw a long time ago," he said, suddenly serious and tense, his eyes blank. "When I was a kid."

"Oh," Kagome bit her lip. She'd heard a little bit of anger in his voice. Not wanting to turn the conversation into a big argument, she grinned cheerfully, "That's cool. I learned how to play the flute when I was a kid too. I guess that's one thing we sort of have in common."

To her relief, she saw his composure relax.

"Yeah," he replied. "One thing we have in common."

The two watched each other for a long moment. Inuyasha was the one who broke the gaze. He opened his sketchpad, turned to a particular page and ripped it out.

"Here," he stated as he handed the page to her. Kagome took it with a questioning look.

"It's for you," he gave her a small smile. "I'll see you later, Kagome."

Inuyasha turned away and jumped off the branch, landing perfectly on his feet on the ground. Kagome stared after his retreating figure with a questioning expression. That's when she remembered the piece of paper he'd given to her. She looked down at it and what she saw took her breath away. It was a sketch. A sketch of her…and not to mention a pretty good one.

* * *

"Ooh, la la!" Miroku chirped once he caught up next to his best friend. "I saw everything that you did. Did you finally decide to try and claim my cousin?"

Miroku yelped as Inuyasha threw the apple that had been given by Kagome at him. Miroku rubbed his head and then grinned.

"It's love…love I tell you!" he sang…and yelped again when Inuyasha planted a fist into his head.

* * *

Kagome stuck the sketch into her backpack and then jumped down from the tree. She then settled beside Sango underneath the oak tree and sighed.

"I don't know if I'll be able to do this…" she groaned. Sango stuck the last of her sandwich into her mouth and after she swallowed, she turned to Kagome.

"Be able to do what?" Sango asked.

"The play."

Sango's expression turned into a sly look, "Oh, the play. You don't want Inuyasha to kiss you, huh?"

Kagome shook her head vigorously, "N-No way! Who'd want to kiss a flirt like him?"

Sango pointed a finger at her best friend with a laugh, "You. 'I like Inuyasha' is written all over your face."

"Just like 'I like Miroku' is written all over yours," Kagome shot back. She grinned when Sango's face turned red. The bell signaling that lunch was over rang.

Sango jumped up with her backpack on her back and said quickly, "Well, lunch is over. Let's get to class or else we'll be late."

With that said, Sango dashed off.

Kagome shouted out to her with a laugh, "You can run, but you can't hide from the truth!"

* * *

Kagome stuck the wooden flute into her backpack quietly when the school bell rang, signaling that school was over for the day.

It was Friday. The school week was already over.

'Tomorrow's Saturday,' Kagome thought happily. 'I'll get to help out at Houshi Shrine again.'

She quickly walked to the door where Sango was waiting for her and the two of them walked out of the room and school entrance doors.

"Seriously, you two are so slow when it's time to leave this place," Inuyasha said with annoyance when they reached him and Miroku.

"It's Kagome, not me," Sango argued and they all started heading toward Houshi Shrine. "When we have to end practice for the day in the music club, it always seems like Kagome doesn't want to stop playing. She gets a dazed look in her eyes."

Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku turned all their attention to Kagome who had been walking alongside them silently. When Kagome realized that they were all staring at her, she blinked.

"What!" she demanded.

"Well, she doesn't have a 'dazed look' in her eyes right now," Inuyasha commented.

"And why would I have a 'dazed look' in my eyes?" Kagome asked with a glare.

"Well, that's what you always have during the time when we're in the music club," Sango pointed out.

"Oh, stop picking on her," Miroku finally spoke up, slinging an arm around Kagome's neck in a friendly way. "My cousin just really gets into it when she's playing the flute. You see, her parents taught her how to play it when she was a little kid. And her parents? You should've seen how they played. They were so good, especially her dad-"

"It just brings childhood memories back to me," Kagome broke in suddenly. "That's all."

The tone of her voice told everyone that that was the end of that particular discussion. The four friends walked on in silence for the next few moments.

"So," Sango said cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood. "Miroku, have you found a trainer for beginners yet?"

Miroku shook his head, "No. I'm trying to though."

"My older brother, Sesshoumaru, said that he wanted to sign Rin and Shippou up as beginners as soon as you do," Inuyasha said.

"Who's Shippou?" Kagome asked curiously.

"Another kid who my older brother adopted," Inuyasha explained. He didn't say any additional words because they'd reached the shrine.

"Well, Sango," Miroku declared. "This is our last day of 'play-practicing'. Starting next week, we'll be taking lessons more seriously."

Sango snorted as she passed by him and started up the stairs, "I've been taking everything seriously all along. It's _you_ who hasn't been taking them seriously."

Miroku ran after her, protesting.

Inuyasha turned to Kagome with a smug look, his hands resting on his waist.

"This is our last day of 'play-practicing' too, Kagome," he grinned. 'Don't expect me to be as merciful as I am now in next week's sessions."

"You were never merciful in the first place," she remarked as she climbed the first step before him. "You were a big show off."

When she heard knuckles crack behind her, Kagome shrieked and dashed up the stairs, Inuyasha running after her.

* * *

:o:O:o:O:o: Training Time :o:O:o:O:o:

"Alright, so you know judo, right?" Miroku asked.

"Do you want me to answer that question verbally or physically?" Sango replied with an annoyed voice, going into a fighting stance.

"Verbally," Miroku laughed nervously as he backed off a bit. "If I recall correctly, you said that you know only a little of judo."

"That's right," Sango answered, dropping her stance completely.

"Was that throw the other day all you knew?"

"Yes," she admitted.

Miroku smiled, "That was really impressive though. I didn't expect a move like that. You had a lot of force in the throw."

Sango turned away and blushed, "Thank you."

Miroku cleared his voice and straightened, "Okay…judo. Judo was found by Dr. Jigaro Kano. It's known as 'the compliant way' or 'the soft way' and was developed from Jujutsu, which we will be working on next week."

He paused, "You know the two falls right? Back break fall and low-side break fall?"

Sango nodded, "They're exactly what they're called. The back break fall is when you break a fall by falling onto your back and the low-side break fall is when you break a fall by falling onto your side."

"Right. Alright, we'll move onto counters now. First, let's try a counter against one type of headlock: the scarf hold."

Miroku spread out his legs and sunk his weight down so that his face was at the level of Sango's, his arm wrapping around her neck into a front headlock. When he lowered his head toward her breasts, Sango screamed.

"HENTAI!" she screeched. Sango pulled her head back as far as she could and gave him a gigantic head-butt. Miroku's hold on her loosened and he fell back a few feet with a groan.

"Wonderful," he gave her another of his nervous laughs. "You figured out the counter without me having to tell you what it was."

"I just did the first thing that came to my mind," Sango snapped, her face still red.

Miroku stood up, "Alright. Now, we'll work on the counter of the foot-sweep."

Miroku's hands reached out and grabbed onto the lapels of Sango's gi and pulled her forward so they were close to each other. Sango flinched when he slammed his left foot against her right foot. If it wasn't for the fact that he was still holding onto her lapels, she would've fallen down to the floor.

"This one is easy. What's the counter for it?" he asked.

Sango lifted up her right foot so that Miroku's left foot now passed it under and swept her foot sharply against both of his feet. Originally, Miroku should have let go of her lapels, but he didn't…so that meant that when he fell, so did she.

Sango's eyes clamped shut as she fell forward and landed hard onto Miroku's chest.

"Ah, sorry," he apologized, letting go of her lapels. "I didn't let go of you when I was supposed to."

"That's okay," Sango said, opening her eyes again. She then felt a hand groping at her bottom.

"Miroku…" she said with an angry high-pitched voice. "You _HENTAI_!"

SLAP

* * *

"Do you punch or kick better?" Inuyasha asked both Kikyo and Kagome as the three of them sat on the wooden floor of the dojo near the end of the training session. "For me, I kick better, and that's why I use kicks as my attacks more."

"I punch better," Kagome said.

"I kick better!" Kikyo clapped in glee. "Just like you, sensei!"

"That's very nice, Kikyo," Inuyasha waved her off. "Alright, listen up, both of you. From this point on, I do NOT want to see you two fight each other unless you're both inside this dojo, got it? I'll be watching you guys closely next week."

"Tell Kikyo that," Kagome sniffed. "She's the one who always starts the fights."

"But you always fight back," Inuyasha pointed out.

Kagome opened her mouth and then shut it. She nodded grimly.

"Okay, so did you both get my message? No fighting each other unless you're in the dojo," Inuyasha said and stood up. "And that's it. Training is over for today."

Kikyo immediately stood up and went to the dressing room.

"I'll be seeing you tomorrow," Inuyasha said, his eyes resting on Kagome, who stood up and stretched with a sigh.

"Right," she smiled.

"On your bike."

The smile fell from her face.

Kagome groaned, "…right."

A/N: Well, some of you asked me to write more about the training with Sango and Miroku so I granted your wish. **:-)** Anyways, the next chapter will be packed with more exciting stuff. The main thing in this chapter was the start of the play.

Well, this chapter hinted that there'll definitely be more characters appearing soon. In addition, we can tell that Kagome gets uneasy when someone talks about her father (gee, judging by what happened to him in my other fics, I wonder why?... **:-D**)

I have a question for all of you: do any of you go to my profile to check for update information for my fanfics? (Because that's where I tell if I'll be updating a certain week or not)

Once again, I apologize for not updating for almost a year …**XD**...next update will be in two weeks, I promise.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the story of "Sleeping Beauty".

Please review!


	6. Boy Meets Family

**Shrine of Love **

A/N: Well, you're all in for a surprise: this chapter was about 21 pages long (in Microsoft Word standards)…5 pages longer than it usually is. Haha, is that a good or bad thing?

Anyways, you guys rock! I'm happy to see that people still actually read my fanfics. Hehe. You guys seriously make my day brighten up. **:-)**

To Shantelle: Sesshoumaru and Rin will not be a couple in this story…and Sesshoumaru will show up soon. **;-)**

* * *

:O:

VOCABULARY

(_suggested by Shantelle_)

Wench- a low, vicious young woman (There're actually a lot of definitions for this word, this is only one of them). This word is almost as bad and insulting as "bitch"…**XD**

:O:

* * *

Chapter 6: Boy Meets Family

Kagome pedaled her bike hastily to Houshi Shrine, narrowly bypassing the pedestrians on the sidewalks and ignoring their yells and curses.

"I'm late!" she groaned, pedaling harder. "Oh why, oh why did I have to stay up late yesterday for an episode of 'Love Makes the World Go 'Round'!"

Houshi Shrine came rapidly into view.

Kagome slammed down the brakes sharply, which caused a loud screech, and only managed to topple over sideways to the concrete floor with the pink bike.

"Ow…" she winced as she rubbed her sore bottom.

"You're late," an amused voice spoke. "I was starting to wonder if you were too chicken to ride a bike to and from shopping."

Inuyasha laughed as she glared at him. He reached down, took her hand, and yanked her up sharply. As Kagome dusted herself off, Inuyasha pulled the bike upright.

"Personally, I'm more worried about the bike instead of about you," he said. Inuyasha yelped when Kagome shoved him. "Sheesh! I was kidding!"

Kagome gave a small huff and then settled her hands on her bike handles, glancing up and down at her martial arts teacher. Inuyasha wore khakis pants this time, along with a long-sleeved white shirt with beige colored sleeves, and topping all of that off was the pair of brown sandals on his feet.

She heard Inuyasha ask slyly, "Checking me out now, are we?"

Kagome immediately tore her eyes away, blushing furiously.

"No," she said. Kagome took a deep breath and asked, "So, where's _your_ bike?"

"If you had taken the time to look to your left over there," Inuyasha answered, pointing in that direction. "Then you would have seen it."

Kagome looked to the left, and sure enough, saw a parked red bicycle nearby against the sidewalk.

Inuyasha said amusingly, "But you're forgiven. You _were_ a little preoccupied with checking me out after all."

"I _was not_!" she shrieked. "Man, I take just ONE look at you and then you assume that I'm 'checking you out', which I was NOT!"

"Yoohoo!" a voice exclaimed suddenly. "Inuyasha! Here's the shopping list!"

Inuyasha and Kagome turned their heads to see Miroku running down the stairs, waving a small piece of white paper in the air. When he reached them, Miroku handed the list to Inuyasha and then turned to look at his cousin.

"You look marvelous today, Kagome," he grinned. "The light blue t-shirt and midnight blue short skirt brings out your eyes…don't you agree, Inuyasha?"

"Yeah…" Inuyasha paused and then added. "And the skirt shows off her great legs too."

SLAP

Inuyasha growled, rubbing his cheek, "What'd you slap me for, wench! I was just complimenting you!"

"You act like Miroku, seriously!" Kagome spat. She turned to her cousin. "Look what you've done to Inuyasha! You probably changed him into a pervert by being friends with him!"

She whipped around, got on her bike, and started riding off toward the shopping market.

"How funny, this reminds me of last Saturday," Inuyasha laughed humorously.

"Yeah," Miroku nodded. "She walked out on us last week all mad like this too. You'd better catch up to her Inuyasha."

"I know."

With that said, Inuyasha climbed onto his bike and said good-bye to Miroku before pedaling off.

* * *

"Kagome! Wait up, would you?"

Kagome did no such thing. She kept riding on.

'I can't BELIEVE it!' she thought as she scowled to herself. 'What Inuyasha said about my legs totally embarrassed me…and he just HAD to say it right in front of my cousin, who he should know is a complete PERVERT!'

Her eyelids lowered a bit and a bit of blush rose into her cheeks, 'But what he said really was a compliment…'

Kagome stopped at a red light and blinked when she heard Inuyasha's bike coming closer. A second later, Inuyasha slowed the bike down to a stop right beside hers, panting hard.

After he caught his breath, he glared at her, "Are you deaf? I told you to wait up!"

"Well," Kagome stuck up her chin. "You deserve to be left behind. You embarrassed me in front of Miroku."

Inuyasha waved her off, "What, so you get angry at me for speaking the truth? You really do have great legs."

"Eh…" Kagome's face turned completely red.

"And you know what?" Inuyasha asked.

"What?" she replied, annoyed.

Inuyasha leaned over so his mouth was against her ear.

"You have nice lips too," he whispered, his breath tickling her. She felt a chill go up her spine.

Inuyasha suddenly pulled away and began riding off. The light had turned green. Realizing that she was being left behind, she screamed, "HEY!"

* * *

Kagome was giving him the silent treatment.

Inuyasha felt like laughing out loud. She was really something. He walked up the store aisle a few feet in front of her and started gathering all the canned foods on the list Miroku had given him.

"You're a little quieter than usual," he said, finally breaking the silence between them. Kagome just replied by turning her head away.

"You know what?" she asked. "I really don't like guys like you. Guys who leave girls behind on the street like that."

"If I recall correctly," Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "You were the one who left me in the first place."

Oh.

Kagome bit her lip. He was right. She HAD left him earlier at the shrine. She coughed.

"Well," she cleared her throat. "I don't like guys who are too flirtatious either."

"Me, flirtatious?" Inuyasha asked innocently.

"Yes."

To Kagome's horror, he winked at her and answered, "Only flirtatious to you, babe."

Inuyasha cried out when she slammed a heel down onto his foot.

"That's EXACTLY what I mean by flirtatious!" she yelled. Several people in the supermarket had already started staring at the both of them.

"They're a weird couple," Kagome heard a woman say to another.

Kagome blushed and pushed ahead of Inuyasha, grabbing the list from his hand and searching for the rest of the ingredients on the list. Inuyasha followed after her, less cheerful than he had been.

"You know, Kagome, I was right when I said that you needed to work on your attitude," Inuyasha remarked. His mouth curled into a smug smile. "…but I was also right when I said that you were cuter when you're angry."

Kagome sighed. Would he EVER learn to stop it with the flirting?

* * *

Kagome and Inuyasha eventually finished shopping for food.

As a "make up" for all the flirting he'd done, Inuyasha insisted to take Kagome next door to Rin's Ice Cream once again. Kagome protested, but Inuyasha grabbed her hand and practically dragged her inside.

"Ohayo, Inuyasha and Kagome!" Rin said cheerfully. "How can I help you two lovers today?"

"We're not lovers, Rin," Inuyasha replied. "And even if I _did_ have an intention to become Kagome's lover, she obviously has no intention of becoming mine."

"That's because you're just a dumb, flirtatious jerk!" Kagome snapped. Inuyasha put a fake hurt look on his face.

"Oh, it breaks my heart to hear that from you," he pouted. Rin laughed.

"You guys are so much fun to watch," she giggled. She straightened. "Well, how can I help you? We don't want the line to keep waiting."

"We'll take the same thing as last week. And this time, Rin, do NOT give us a discount as a congratulations for Kagome and I 'hooking up'," Inuyasha said. He paid for the order, took the sundae and two spoons from an innocently smiling Rin and then he led Kagome over to an empty table for two. As Inuyasha settled on one side of the table and Kagome on the other, Kagome looked away when Inuyasha started gazing at her.

"What?" she demanded when she couldn't take it anymore. Inuyasha merely shrugged at her and dipped his spoon into the ice cream. Kagome kicked his leg underneath the table, causing the table to shake violently for a brief moment.

"Man, watch it, wench!" Inuyasha barked at her.

"Humph," Kagome sniffed and looked away. She scooped some ice cream into her spoon and stuck it in her mouth without paying attention to him.

"If you're this mean to every boy you meet, I'm sure you won't ever be having a boyfriend in your life," Inuyasha stated coldly.

Kagome just stuck out her tongue at him.

Inuyasha grunted, "Now I really don't want to kiss you in the play. I can't believe we have to in the first place. Who'd want to kiss _you_?"

"Same goes with you," Kagome countered.

The two stared angrily at each other.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, sighed, and leaned back against his seat.

"Kagome Higurashi, why are you so obnoxious towards me?" he asked as he twirled his spoon with his fingers.

"Because you start little fights with me…like this one," she grunted.

Inuyasha sat up again and leaned over so his face was a few inches apart from hers.

"I'm a lover, not a fighter," he said with a frown.

"That's hard to believe," Kagome said with an annoyed voice.

"Is that so?" Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "Well then, I'll just have to prove it to you someday, won't I?"

Kagome froze when he reached out and ran his knuckles gently against her cheek, settling his hand back down on the table a second later.

The ice cream had been devoured to a finish minutes ago, yet Inuyasha and Kagome remained seated, staring into each others eyes.

'It-it feels like I'm in a trance,' Kagome breathed. 'I can't tear my eyes away from his.'

"Are you two done with your ice cream?" a voice suddenly piped. Rin appeared in front of their table. Inuyasha looked at Kagome for a few more seconds before turning his attention to Rin.

Kagome sighed in relief. Thank goodness Rin had come. It was then that she realized that her heart was thudding hard.

* * *

:o:O:o:O:o: Back At The Shrine :o:O:o:O:o:

"What're we making today?" Kagome asked as she settled a few of the grocery bags onto the counter in the kitchen.

"Okonomiyaki," Inuyasha answered. "Miroku's favorite. Do you know how to make it?"

"Yeah," Kagome gave him a look. "Do we have the appliances to make it?"

"Of course." Inuyasha walked over to the sink, opened up the cabinet below it, and pulled out a large, black appliance. He slammed the cabinet shut with his foot and strode back over to Kagome.

"Here," he said with an evil glint in his eyes. Inuyasha dropped the appliance into Kagome's arms. He watched with amusement as she sunk down a foot, the weight of the appliance weighing her down.

He turned and ran his fingers through his hair.

"I'll be over in the laundry room doing laundry and a few other stuff," Inuyasha smirked. "As for you, you can start making the okonomiyaki. I'll be with you in awhile."

Kagome groaned, "This thing is so heavy!"

Inuyasha walked out the door. A few seconds later, he stuck his head in the doorway, "Don't forget to plug the thing in to turn it on."

"Got it," she grumbled.

"Have a nice workout," Inuyasha laughed before starting to walk away again.

Kagome took a deep breath and, with difficulty, heaved the heavy machine onto the counter.

"Inuyasha, you bastard," she scowled.

"_I heard that!_" she heard his voice echo through the hallway.

* * *

Kagome closed her eyes and breathed in the delicious smelling aroma of the cooking okonomiyaki. She held the spatula tightly in her hand, ready to flip the food over. Beside her, there was already a small stack of okonomiyaki already done.

"Mmm, smells good," a familiar voice said behind her. Kagome whipped around, only to find her cousin sticking his sniffing nose in the air with a pleased smile on his face.

"I can't wait to eat!" Miroku said cheerfully, looking her straight in the eye now. "Can I have a little taste right now?"

"Of course," Kagome gave him a bright smile, which then turned into a deadpan glare. "…NOT."

Miroku laughed nervously and backed out the door, "Just asking. No need to get mad now."

Kagome snorted and continued with the cooking. A few minutes passed and she eventually finished making a whole plate stacked with okonomiyaki. It was peacefully quiet until…

"MIROKU, JUST SET UP THE DAMN TABLE!" Inuyasha's voice was heard screaming from the dining room. "THAT'S THE LEAST YOU COULD DO!"

There were a few more statements added by Inuyasha before Kagome heard Miroku answer, "Fine!"

A moment later, Inuyasha strode into the kitchen like nothing had happened.

"What's up?" Kagome asked.

"The sky," he joked. "Actually, I was trying to get Miroku to do something to help us out. He's getting lazier and lazier and doesn't want to do anything to help us out anymore. I gave him the easiest job of all…the only job that he's practically ever did."

"Setting the table. Yeah, I heard." Kagome sweat-dropped.

Inuyasha smiled, "It smells good in here. I'm guessing that you didn't burn anything?"

"Nope."

"_Lucky_. The first time I made these, I almost made the whole shrine burn down," he walked over to the plate of okonomiyaki, got a plate and fork from a nearby drawer, and lifted one slice of okonomiyaki onto the plate. He turned to face Kagome again. Inuyasha's mouth curled into a grin. "I guess I'm your food tester now, huh?"

Kagome looked down at the floor so he wouldn't see her blush, "Uh…yeah, sure."

Inuyasha stuck a fork full of the okonomiyaki into his mouth and chewed it thoughtfully. There was a long period of awkward silence between them.

"You make okonomiyaki a little differently than I do," Inuyasha finally said. "But it's just as good."

Kagome looked away shyly. Okay, she had to admit, she was pretty pleased with that last statement. I mean, wouldn't any other girl feel pleased if the guy they had fallen in love with complimented them on their cooking (judging by the fact that not many guys like a girl's cooking)?

"Thanks," she replied, looking him in the eye. "Um, I guess we won't be training today, will we?"

Inuyasha settled the plate he held onto the counter, along with the fork, and glanced up at the clock.

"Hm…" he murmured. "I guess not."

Inuyasha looked back down at Kagome and asked, "Is that okay with you?"

She nodded, "Yeah."

Inuyasha gave a small laugh, "Guess we'll have to entertain ourselves this whole evening by picking on Miroku, huh?"

Kagome started laughing too.

"Yeah," she said between giggles. "I just hope he doesn't grab at me again like last week."

"You mean like this?" Inuyasha's arm shot out, wrapped around Kagome's waist, and dragged her towards him. Kagome felt her breath caught in her throat when she noticed that their faces were only mere millimeters apart from each other's. Her eyes stared into Inuyasha's violet ones, which stared right back into hers.

"You know," he said. "I wonder how it'd feel like to kiss you."

Kagome felt a blush creeping up her neck and she remarked, "Hold on, I thought you said you didn't want to kiss me…_really_ didn't want to kiss me."

"Well," he said back. "I said I was _wondering how it_ _felt like_ to kiss you…not, I _wanted_ to kiss you."

His other arm encircled her, drawing her even closer.

"Besides," he murmured against her ear. "What if I was lying earlier before and really _did_ want to kiss you?"

By now, Kagome's heart beat was out of control.

"And you know what?" Inuyasha added, his mouth now against her neck. "You'll be my first kiss."

Okay, now her heart beat was REALLY out of control. Kagome had no idea what to say. She was speechless. One second, he was mean to her, then another, he was nice to her, and then the next, he was flirting with her (or maybe confessing any feelings he felt toward her).

Kagome clamped her eyes shut with nervousness. He was going be her first kiss too.

Before she knew it, his mouth had traveled back up to her face, and now hovered over her own mouth in kissing distance, his breath tickling her lips. Her lips parted and then she felt a static-y feeling that went through her entire body. He was going to kiss her, she just had a feeling that he would. Right at that moment, she'd kill anyone who'd get in the way of her and Inuyasha kissing.

Even if that person was her very cousin, who had decided to come into the kitchen they stood in at THAT moment of all times.

"Hey, what's taking you guys so long to make dinner?" Miroku demanded as he stepped through the doorway into the room. His eyes widened at the scene. "Oh, Kami, were you two in the middle of something? I'm sorry! I'll just leave you guys…go on, go on, continue! Just pretend that I never came in here."

"No, we weren't in the middle of something," Inuyasha said suddenly, letting go of Kagome and stepping away from her. "I was just…flirting with her."

"Like usual," Miroku chuckled.

Both Inuyasha and Kagome noticed that he was slowly inching toward the plate of okonomiyaki.

"Hey…" Kagome growled.

"Stop RIGHT where you are," Inuyasha finished for her. He swiped up the plate just before Miroku's hand could land on it.

"Shoot," he snapped his fingers. "I almost reached it."

"It's not time to eat yet," Inuyasha shook his head, starting to walk out of the kitchen, the plate of okonomiyaki in hand. "Did you set the table, Miroku?"

Miroku followed him eagerly, "Yup."

Inuyasha waited as Miroku passed him at the doorway before he looked at Kagome and smiled at her. He then turned fully around, his back facing her, and headed out of the room. Kagome sank down to her knees a moment later and sighed.

"Man, I have it REALLY bad for him," she groaned to herself.

* * *

It was now Kagome's turn to stare in astonishment as Miroku devoured slice by slice of okonomiyaki.

'Was that how _I_ looked when I was eating oden last week?' she sweat-dropped.

Last week, Kagome had sat on a mat on the floor on one side of the very low table while the two boys sat on the other side. However, today, Inuyasha had, for some reason, decided to sit beside her instead of with Miroku.

Speaking of Inuyasha, he was sitting there calmly, drinking a glass of ice cold water. Both he and Kagome had finished eating their fill and were now waiting for Miroku to finish his.

"Really, Miroku," Inuyasha stated as he whirled the water in his glass around and around. "When we eat okonomiyaki, you're really scary…so scary that I'm too scared to even sit next to you."

Well, THAT explained why he had sat next to her now.

To Kagome's surprise, Inuyasha turned his attention to her and winked, "Even scarier than Kagome with oden."

He laughed as he caught her fist, stopping her from launching a punch.

SLAP

Inuyasha scowled. She'd slapped him with the hand he wasn't holding. It was the second slap for the day. Why couldn't he ever sense her slaps coming? Sure, he can sense punches and kicks, but slaps? No.

"Would you stop it," he hissed. "With the slapping, wench?"

"Would you stop it," she hissed back. "With the flirting, jerk?"

"Would you stop it with the 'jerk', wench?"

"Would you stop it with the 'wench', jerk?"

"Would you stop it, the both of you," Miroku loudly interrupted. "With the arguing!"

Inuyasha and Kagome glared at each other and then turned away from one another.

"Humph," they both mumbled.

"Anyways," Miroku coughed. "I'm feeling a little queasy right now."

"Who wouldn't after eating all that okonomiyaki?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes heavenward. "Miroku, you pig. Why don't you 'digest' today's meal this time by cleaning up the table?"

"But I-"

Inuyasha stood up from his spot on the floor and pointed at an empty plate with a few crumbs on it.

"All you do," he said. "Is pick up the plates, like this…"

Inuyasha picked the plate up for emphasis.

"And bring it to the kitchen," he continued. "How hard is that?"

"Very hard," Miroku moaned. "If you have a stomachache."

"Stomachache, hm?" Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at his best friend. "Well, how 'bout if I tell you that if you don't get your ass off that mat and help clean up for once, we'll never ever make okonomiyaki for you again. Do you have a stomachache _now_?"

As expected, Miroku did not. He shot up from his spot and started gathering all the dirty dishes together.

"Blackmailer," he said with a complaining tone.

"It's necessary to blackmail sometimes when things need to be done," Inuyasha replied with a smug grin.

Miroku grumbled something in response and started walking off toward the kitchen with some dirty dishes.

"I'll wash the dishes this time," Inuyasha said to Kagome before heading to the kitchen after Miroku.

"And I'll rinse," Kagome smiled and stood up to go to the kitchen herself.

* * *

After several minutes, Inuyasha, Miroku, and Kagome were finished with the cleaning. The three all settled in the living room afterward to watch TV. They all settled on one couch-Miroku sitting at the far left and Kagome on the far right with Inuyasha between them because Kagome didn't want to be hugged by Miroku again if he happened to fall asleep…which he did. That left Inuyasha and Kagome as the only ones awake. The two were quiet as they watched the images on the screen flicker by, the audio at a moderate volume.

One time, Inuyasha's hand accidentally touched Kagome's. He quickly drew his hand away and apologized. However, a few minutes later, his hand ended up touching Kagome's again…and that time, he didn't pull his hand away at all OR apologize.

When Kagome couldn't take it anymore, she stood up. Inuyasha looked up at her in surprise.

"Um, I should really head home," she told him. "I have to ride my bike home from now on when I come here on Saturdays."

Inuyasha watched her intently for a few minutes before asking, "Do you want a ride home?"

Kagome blinked, "What?"

"Do you want a ride home?" Inuyasha repeated. He stood up. "I mean, you've done a lot of bike riding today just by riding to the shrine and to the market and back to the shrine again."

"Oh," she replied oh-so-intelligently.

"And now you have to ride your bike back home?" Inuyasha went on. "I think that's too much…even for me. And right after dinner too."

He looked at her head on with a smile, "But I can give you a ride home on my motorcycle from now on. Then, you can leave your bike here at the shrine over the week and ride it home on Friday and then ride it back here to the shrine on Saturday…and then the whole thing restarts all over again. That way, you won't have to do the bike riding all in one day."

Inuyasha bent down to pick up the remote control on the table in front of them and turned the television off.

"_And_," he added. "I think that would give your mother a break from having to drive you home on Fridays."

"That makes sense," Kagome paused. "I guess."

Both of them went to the front door, leaving Miroku who was still sleeping on the couch, and pulled on their shoes.

Kagome hadn't brought a backpack this time so she didn't worry about forgetting anything just as she walked straight out the door. Inuyasha followed behind her and shut the door closed.

"Um, Inuyasha?" she asked as he walked right past her and toward the shrine stairs.

"Hm?"

"Your motorcycle IS here, right?"

"Would I be offering you a ride home if it weren't?"

"Then how'd you get your bike here?"

Inuyasha continued walking as he answered, "My brother brought it to the shrine in his car on his way to work."

Kagome bit her lip as they walked down the stairs. What else was there to talk about? At the moment, she could think of nothing. As they walked down the last step, Kagome caught sight of her bike and Inuyasha's, which they had securely locked against a rack that stood near the foot of the stairs. In no time, they both reached the motorcycle, which Kagome hadn't seen earlier, due to the fact that she was in a rush during that time. Inuyasha climbed on, put on his helmet, and gave Kagome the spare. She slipped it on, settled herself behind Inuyasha, and then, they were off.

* * *

"You live sort of close to Houshi Shrine," Inuyasha commented as they rounded the street corner and onto the street of Higurashi Shrine, as directed by Kagome.

"I know," Kagome nodded.

The neighborhood was quiet, as if everyone had gone to sleep already. A few houses, however, had lights on…including Higurashi Shrine.

Inuyasha slowed to a stop in front of Kagome's home, turned off the engine of the motorcycle and took off his helmet.

"Come on," he urged as he climbed off. "I'll walk you to the door."

Kagome followed suit hesitantly. When they both reached the door, Kagome looked up at Inuyasha with a smile.

"Thanks for the ride," she said. Kagome looked away and asked quietly. "Do you want to come in for a few minutes? You know…and meet my family and all?"

"Sure," he laughed good-heartedly.

"I have to warn you though," Kagome stopped and then resumed. "My family is weird."

"You don't have to tell _me_ that," Inuyasha smirked. "I can already tell by knowing you."

Kagome gave him a venomous glare. If looks could kill, Inuyasha would have been dead at that very moment. He gulped.

Kagome turned her attention back to the door and slid it open. The lights were on in many rooms of the house, but there was oddly no sound of movement or voices.

"Did your family go somewhere?" Inuyasha asked as Kagome slid the door shut behind them.

Kagome scanned the room. _Had_ they gone somewhere?

"Mom?" she called out. "Grandpa? Souta? Anyone home?"

Suddenly, a blur shot toward the both of them. Kagome screamed. Inuyasha instantly became alert and planted his feet on the ground. If it weren't for a kid's voice that sounded next, he would have launched a punch.

"HAI!" the voice cried out.

Inuyasha reached an arm out and grabbed hold of the outstretched leg that was aimed right at him. Kagome peeked through her fingers and groaned when she spotted who it was that had launched an attack at them.

"Souta! What do you think you're doing?" she exclaimed.

He grinned nervously at her, "Uh, hey, Kagome."

"Let me guess," Inuyasha said to the young boy and raised an eyebrow. "You must be Kagome's little brother."

"Right," Souta said with a wide grin. He squirmed awkwardly, still being held upside down by Inuyasha. "Hey, let me go!"

He yelped when Inuyasha's hold on his ankle was gone, which made him fall to the ground hard on his head. Kagome groaned again. What an embarrassment.

"You know what, sport?" Inuyasha stated as he helped Souta up again. "You have amazing speed and quietness with your attacks."

Souta smiled broadly in return.

Inuyasha smirked as he turned his head toward Kagome.

"Unlike your sister here," he teased.

"Whatever, Inuyasha," she rolled her eyes at him. Kagome brightened when she spotted her mother entering the hallway in front of where she, Inuyasha, and Souta stood. "Mom!"

Mrs. Higurashi smiled warmly and headed toward them. She was a middle-aged woman who had short, dark wavy hair and dark colored eyes.

"Welcome home," she greeted once she reached the three. Mrs. Higurashi's eyes flickered over to Inuyasha, who bowed.

"It's great to finally meet you, Mrs. Higurashi," he said politely.

"Same with you, dear," she beamed. Mrs. Higurashi blinked twice, a smile still on her face, before blurting out. "I know you! You're that boy I saw last week! The one who kissed Kagome good-bye before she left to go home! I _knew_ you looked familiar!"

Inuyasha reddened. He wasn't the only one though. Right beside him, Kagome blushed too.

"What's your name?" Mrs. Higurashi asked gleefully.

"Inuyasha Takahashi, ma'am," Inuyasha answered. "Um, I'm Kagome's instructor for her martial arts training at Houshi Shrine."

Mrs. Higurashi's smiling face turned into a surprised expression.

"You're her instructor?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Interesting…very interesting," Mrs. Higurashi murmured.

Then, to Kagome's horror, her mother's fist went flying straight towards Inuyasha's face.

'What the-' Inuyasha thought as he barely dodged the blow. Mrs. Higurashi sent her other fist flying before he knew it. This time, it roughly grazed his cheek.

"Mom!" he heard Kagome cry out. "WHAT are you DOING!"

Mrs. Higurashi didn't answer her. She jabbed at Inuyasha again. He scowled. Alright, he'd go along with this, whatever this lady was doing. Inuyasha glanced behind him quickly and noticed that he was being cornered against the door he and Kagome had entered through earlier. That gave him the disadvantage.

"Come on, dear," Mrs. Higurashi beckoned. "Attack me. I won't get mad."

Yeah, she wouldn't, but Kagome hell would. Inuyasha could picture it now-Kagome yelling her head off at him for attacking her mother, telling him he didn't have any respect for elders. He found an opening when Kagome's mother launched another punch, and then rapidly ducked under Mrs. Higurashi's outstretched arm. Mrs. Higurashi whipped around in a blink of an eye and shot out another fist at him. With difficulty, Inuyasha dodged once again while he did a quick back flip.

This lady was definitely a black-belt. He could tell. Her speed was amazing, she was light on her feet, she had her concentration down, and she had force behind her moves. She was guiding him down the hallway-down to its dead end. All of the doors were shut-probably on purpose since the very beginning.

He stared intently back into the fierce eyes of Kagome's mother. Her smile hadn't left her face since the very beginning of this little match.

"Really, dear, I want you to attack me," she said. "I don't just want to see defense. I want offense too!"

Her sandaled foot blasted up sharply into his chin. Inuyasha staggered back a few feet.

"Right now, forget who your opponent is and just fight like you would anyone else," Mrs. Higurashi continued. "Seriously, I won't hold a thing you do to me against you."

This family was definitely weird. Inuyasha wiped a trickle of sweat that ran down his cheek away hastily and put up another defensive stance. He could literally feel himself being closed in upon. There was only about a yard of empty space behind him left before he'd be completely cornered. His eyes shut tightly closed.

'Here goes,' he thought reluctantly. Inuyasha built up as much energy as he could muster into a leap. He clamped both hands onto either side of Mrs. Higurashi's shoulders as supports and used them to arch him over to the other side. He landed roughly, but at least he'd landed on his two feet.

"Woohoo!" Souta exclaimed in the background. "You go, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha shot him a quick smile.

"Inuyasha, watch out!" Kagome screamed suddenly.

He looked behind him to see Mrs. Higurashi launching a roundhouse kick. Her foot connected full force with his body and caused him to be thrown hard against the wall.

Inuyasha slumped down onto the floor in pain. He winced, 'My shoulder…'

At the corner of his eye, he saw Mrs. Higurashi looming closer for another attack. He slumped all the way to the ground onto his back and launched a kick at a forty-five degree angle, successfully making contact with her stomach. Mrs. Higurashi collided with the wall across from him and slumped down to the floor with a moan.

"Mom!" Souta and Kagome both exclaimed as they rushed over to her. Mrs. Higurashi lay staring up at the ceiling for a long moment, breathing in deeply before sitting up again.

"Are you two going to be okay?" Kagome asked with concern.

"A fast recovery is important in martial arts, dear," Mrs. Higurashi replied with one of her bright smiles. "Of course we'll be fine."

Her expression twisted into a sly look, "Both you and Souta seemed to be rooting for Inuyasha in the match…especially you, Kagome, since you tried to warn him when I launched that roundhouse kick."

Kagome reddened. Mrs. Higurashi laughed as she stood up and then turned her attention to Inuyasha, "Bravo! What a wonderful workout! Miroku chose well with his instructors."

"Acutally," Inuyasha coughed. "I volunteered to be an instructor for the shrine dojo since no other person wanted to be hired as one."

Mrs. Higurashi raised an eyebrow, "I see."

"We still need an instructor for beginners," Inuyasha continued. "I teach intermediate and Miroku teaches advanced."

"So," Mrs. Higurashi said, changing the topic. "How's my dear Kagome doing with her martial arts?"

Kagome stiffened.

'Great, now Inuyasha's going to say really mean things about me-things that might not even be true,' she groaned to herself.

"Kagome's a wonderful student," Inuyasha said with a smile. "I think she'll move on to advanced in no time."

'What?' Kagome blinked. 'Did he just give me a compliment?'

Mrs. Higurashi beamed, but before she could say anything, an old voice bellowed, "_Demon BEGONE!_"

Inuyasha flinched when a large spray of powder showered over him and looked up to see a short old man dressed in shrine garbs with tied up gray hair, holding a small bowl of white powder.

"_Demon BEGONE!_" the old man said again, throwing another handful of powder at him. "Let's see you withstand the all powerful powder I made!"

A bit of the powder flew into Inuyasha's mouth and after tasting it, his face twisted into a bitter look, "Hey, old man…this 'all powerful powder' of yours just tastes like salt and sugar mixed together."

The old man stopped in his tracks, his hand containing another fistful of powder held in midair.

Kagome scoffed while Inuyasha brushed the powder off his hair and clothes, "That's because it IS salt and sugar mixed together, _isn't it_, Grandpa?"

"I just wanted to make sure that you aren't dating someone who's possessed by a demon!" her grandfather protested.

"We're not dating in the first place! He's my martial arts teacher!"

"That's not what it looked like through the living room window when we all saw you two on that motorcycle, all snug-"

"He was giving me a ride home!" Kagome glared and then scowled. "You three saw us! That means that all these 'attacks' from each of you were planned out before we even came in, weren't they!"

"Mom ordered me to do it," Souta pointed to Mrs. Higurashi immediately. His mother smiled innocently.

"I wanted to test Inuyasha's martial arts skills," she said cheerfully. "I sort of figured out that he was your instructor before he told me he was. And I must say, I definitely approve!"

"Approve of what?" Kagome asked.

Mrs. Higurashi blinked in surprise, "Why, of him being your instructor of course. And if you two ever plan on dating sometime, I approve of that too. Inuyasha is a very polite gentleman, as far as I can see."

Inuyasha, who had been standing silently nearby, gave her a small laugh, "Uh, gee…thanks."

"The boy is working for the devil! He rides a motorcycle!" Grandpa bellowed loudly.

"It's more convenient for me," Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "And I do not work for the devil, sir."

"Father, stop yelling at him," Mrs. Higurashi scolded. "You always annoy people with your 'spiritual' talk! And if I recall correctly, you said that you LOVED riding on motorcycles back when you were a teenager yourself."

That silenced Kagome's grandfather. Everyone sweat-dropped.

"So, Gramps, does that mean that you 'worked for the devil' when you were a teenager?" Souta asked, earning a few laughs.

"Um, as much as I'd hate to, I have to be going now," Inuyasha said during the moment laughter. "It was really nice meeting you all."

"Same with you, dear," Mrs. Higurashi beamed. "It was a pleasure meeting you. I have to be going now too. The kitchen is a mess from dinner."

Kagome's father merely grunted and followed Mrs. Higurashi as she left the room.

Souta tugged on Inuyasha shirt, "You'll come visit us again soon, won't you, Inuyasha?"

"Sure, sport," was his reply, as well as getting his hair ruffled. After smiling at the now whining Souta, Inuyasha made his way to the door, Kagome trailing behind him.

"Listen, I'm sorry about everything they did," Kagome apologized gloomily once both she and Inuyasha reached the door. "I told you my family was weird."

"Hm, you're weirder than all of them," Inuyasha chuckled. "Except for maybe your grandfather."

"He'll eventually like you. He's not the hating kind of person," Kagome assured him. "He's just a little over-protective of me and Souta."

"Hm, I can see that," he shook his head. "Well, I should be heading home. It's getting late."

Kagome gave him a small smile, "I'll see you on Monday then."

"Don't forget to tell your mom about the new routine we have for the weekends," Inuyasha reminded her.

"Don't worry, I'll tell her."

Inuyasha stared at her for a few seconds before answering, "Alright then. I'll see you on Monday."

He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek, just like he had last Saturday. When he pulled away, Kagome looked away.

"Inuyasha, are you _always_ going to kiss me every Saturday before you leave?" she asked, trying to hide her blushing face.

"Yup," he winked, turning toward the stairs to leave. "That's part of the routine too."

A/N: Well, as you can see, Inuyasha is getting flirtier and flirtier. Poor Kagome. **;-)**

'Love Makes the World Go 'Round' is not a real TV series, and if by ANY possible chance it is, I don't own it.

By the way, thank you to **chibiNeko192** for pointing out a mistake in the previous chapter! I might be replacing the previous chapters (again) because of some mistakes that I caught. Arg, no matter how many times I proofread and edit a chapter, I always find an error when I upload it onto the site. **X.X**

Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Please review!


	7. The First Lesson

**Shrine of Love**

A/N: Sorry for being a week late with the update. **XD** Thank you for your reviews everyone!

Well, here's the next chapter!

Chapter 7: The First Lesson

It was an all new week.

Kagome walked sleepily onto the school campus grounds, the backpack on her back feeling like a ton on her shoulders.

"Seriously," she muttered bitterly. "They give us students a stack of textbooks and expect us to carry it on our backs everyday for the whole school year. How fair is that?"

"Very fair," a voice cackled behind her. "Especially since it's you who's suffering."

Kagome stiffly turned around. Kikyo glared at her, hands on her hips.

"We still have a score to settle, Higurashi," she sneered.

Kagome tossed her hair and looked her rival straight on in the eyes, "You're breaking the rules. Inuyasha told us we're not supposed to fight anymore, remember?"

"Of course I remember," Kikyo sniffed. "But this should be the last time we fight anyway…since I'll be beating you up into a bloody pulp and making you stay in a hospital for your entire life."

Her only answer was an exasperated sigh.

"Leave me out of this," Kagome said sternly and turned her back on her. "I'm not in the mood to fight right now."

'Then again,' she though grimly. 'I never am when I'm fighting with Kikyo.'

"Turn around and fight me!" Kikyo screamed. "FIGHT ME!"

"You're not worth the effort," Kagome waved her aside. That just made the frustrated girl behind her turn around angry.

"You bitch," she heard Kikyo growl loudly. Before she knew what had happened, a force shoved her forward roughly. Kagome's temper went off immediately. She whipped around, her fist ready to launch a punch at Kikyo's face. Her fist collided with a palm of Kikyo's hand. The two jumped a few feet away from each other.

"Now _this_ is what I'm talking about," Kikyo grinned. She took a stance. Kagome did the same.

"I told you not to bother me," Kagome snarled. "I'm _tired_. Don't you get it! I'm _tired_ of you. I'm _tired_ of these stupid fights!"

She shot another punch. It successfully hit Kikyo in the jaw. The force caused Kikyo to slide back a few inches.

Kikyo began to extend her own fist, but a quick blur suddenly slapped down hard on her shoulder and pounded her toward the ground. Kikyo yelped and whirled around.

Inuyasha stood before the both of them, a slab of wood resting against his shoulder, his grip on it as hard as iron. His eyes were narrowed.

"What did I tell you about not fighting at school anymore?" he asked flatly. "I'm ashamed of you guys."

"What was the hit on the shoulder for!" Kikyo demanded.

"This week's theme is discipline," Inuyasha replied indirectly. "Which both of you obviously need to work on."

"SHE started it!" Kagome and Kikyo said in unison.

"It doesn't matter who started it," Inuyasha said as he tapped the slab of wood lightly against his shoulder continuously. "Both of you were fighting."

Both girls mumbled incoherently.

"What'd I tell you two last Friday?" Inuyasha asked quietly and was answered with silence before there was a reply.

"No fighting each other…" Kikyo mumbled.

"…unless you're in the dojo," Kagome finished. "Yeah, yeah. We got it."

The bell rang.

"Alright, I'll see both of you after school," Inuyasha said. "But first, I want both of you to _swear_ that you won't fight each other again unless it's in the dojo."

Both girls swore.

After Kikyo stormed off, Kagome turned to Inuyasha with a glare.

"Kikyo really did start the fight, you know," she pointed out as both she and Inuyasha headed to class.

"Kagome," he sighed. "I'm the teacher. I'm not supposed to take anyone's side."

Inuyasha turned his head slightly and gave her a smug grin, "Even though you're cuter than Kikyo."

Kagome blushed.

"You still fought Kikyo back," Inuyasha said with a serious tone, changing back to the previous topic. "In order to consider a fight a fight between two people, both persons have to be fighting one another. If one person is just using defense and absolutely no offense…well, it wouldn't really be considered a fight since that person isn't really fighting back. But if what I saw was correct, you were fighting back, and so therefore-"

"-it was a fight. A fight outside the dojo," Kagome interrupted, rolling her eyes. "I get it already."

"You sure? Or will it take all this week to dig my point into both of your thick heads?" Inuyasha scoffed.

Kagome coughed, "_I_ have a thick head?"

"What, _exactly_, was that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha demanded, stopping in his tracks. Both of them had reached the closed classroom door of their first period class.

"It means that _you're_ thick-headed," Kagome said tartly. Just wonderful. They were having one of their daily arguments.

"I wouldn't insult your teacher if I were you. I can have you fail and make you repeat my class if I wanted to."

Kagome stared in utter disbelief, "You wouldn't dare."

For a brief moment, she noticed that the hallway was almost empty of students, and figured that there was only a minute or two left before the late bell would ring.

"_Yes_, I _would_," Inuyasha's voice snapped, reminding her that she was in the middle of a verbal fight. "Don't make me have to make you call me sensei-or even worse, _master_-from now on."

"I am not calling you either of those! And if you fail me on purpose, I'm telling Miroku!"

"But if I fail you on purpose, I'll get to keep you longer," Inuyasha said innocently. "And who would you rather have as your teacher? Me or Miroku?"

"You," Kagome admitted. She then scowled. "But that's no reason to fail me! I don't want to be stuck with you forever!"

As Kagome kept babbling on and on and on, Inuyasha leaned the slab of wood he held against the wall and then grabbed hold of one of her arms…which he pulled hard on. Kagome stopped her talking and shrieked as she fell forward against him.

When she looked up, her eyes met with his.

'Why do I always end up looking into his eyes these days!' Kagome cursed mentally. She then felt Inuyasha secure an arm around her. She squirmed.

"We're going to play a little game," Inuyasha said quietly, ignoring Kagome's squirming. He leaned closer to her face. "It's called: How Many Kisses Will It Take to Calm Down Kagome Higurashi?"

"Wh-what!" she sputtered.

"I said, 'How many kisses will it take to calm down Kagome Higurashi?'," Inuyasha replied softly. "Well, how many do you think it'll take?"

"Zero," Kagome croaked. She squirmed harder. "Inuyasha, let go! The bell's going to ring any second!"

All he did to answer her was lower his face towards hers at that moment. She felt herself freeze.

And still found herself frozen after he gave her a light kiss on the tip of her nose.

"Well, would you look at that!" Inuyasha laughed. "It takes only one kiss to calm you down and shut you up for good."

He let go of her and picked up the board of wood that he'd rested against the wall.

"Come on, Kagome," Inuyasha said. "Let's get in class before the bell rings."

He slid the classroom door open and went inside, leaving the door open for Kagome. She growled and stepped into the classroom filled with talking students. Apparently, Mr. Nobunaga hadn't arrived yet.

Kagome headed over to her seat, seeing that Inuyasha had already taken his seat behind hers. He was listening to a non-stop talking Miroku.

"Good morning, Kagome," Sango smiled when Kagome sat down. "You and Inuyasha were a little later than usual today."

"Yeah," Kagome sighed.

Then, just as the bell rang, Mr. Nobunaga stumbled through the classroom door.

"Oh, thank goodness. I made it!" he said as he gasped for air. All the students in the class rolled their eyes.

* * *

"Alright! Drama class is now in session!" Ms. Kaede barked. "Now listen here, all of you. We're going to be working on the play backwards. In other words, we'll be practicing the play from the end to the beginning instead of vice versa. There are not many lines for any of you to memorize since there will be a narrator. So, what we should really focus on instead are the actions and movements in the later scenes."

"Which means you and Kagome will have to kiss sooner," Miroku whispered slyly to Inuyasha.

"That's right, Mr. Houshi," Ms. Kaede's voice interrupted loudly, making Miroku jump. "Mr. Takahashi and Miss Higurashi will have to practice the kissing scene sooner than we all thought. As well as the dancing scene and numerous others."

"Hold up, hold up," Inuyasha jumped in. "We have to _dance_ too?"

"You have no problem with that, do you?" Ms. Kaede asked. Her eyes had a 'if-you-say-yes-you'll-be-in-BIG-trouble' look.

"Uh, no," he gulped. "I have no problem with that."

"And you, Miss Higurashi?" Ms. Kaede said, switching her attention to Kagome.

Kagome, for some reason, looked uneasy, "Um, no. Not at all. I have no problem with that."

"Good," Ms. Kaede stated with a satisfied look on her face. "I hope you two learn to get along well with each other soon…"

Everyone heard Kagome and Inuyasha grunt simultaneously.

"…because we'll be practicing the kissing scene next week."

* * *

:o:O:o:O:o: Lunch :o:O:o:O:o:

"I really don't think I can do it," Kagome told Sango, who was chewing on a sandwich. "I mean, just lay there still while Inuyasha kisses me."

Sango swallowed and then turned to her best friend with an evil gleam in her eye, "So you're saying that you can't just lay there because you want to kiss him back when he kisses you?"

"Th-That's not what I meant!" Kagome stammered, blushing furiously. "You _know_ that's not what I meant!"

"Do I?"

Kagome 'humph'ed. Sango giggled.

"I'm kidding. Of course I know what you meant," Sango smiled to herself, taking another bite of her sandwich. "You're saying that you can't stand the thought of Inuyasha kissing you in the first place, right?"

Kagome nodded.

"Are you sure about that? Because from what I see, it looks like you _like_ like him."

"I do not!" Kagome exclaimed, her blush returning to her cheeks. Sango pointed at them.

"Your cheeks tell me otherwise," she remarked.

"Well, you _like_ like Miroku too!" Kagome shot back.

"You always use lines like that against me," Sango rolled her eyes. "How many times do I have to say it: I do not like Miroku Houshi. Who'd like a pervert like him? And don't even think of saying the word 'you' back to me."

"Alright then. _Sango Taijiya would_."

Sango stared at Kagome for a few seconds and then, before Kagome could say anything, Sango craned her head back and yelled up towards Inuyasha, who was sitting on the branch he usually sat on during lunch, "Hey, Inuyasha! Guess who likes you!"

He stopped his sketching and looked down at the both of them.

"Who?" they heard him say.

"You wouldn't _dare_ say my name!" Kagome gritted through her teeth.

"Oh, _yes_, I _would_," Sango replied calmly. "But I'll reconsider if you take back what you said about me liking the pervert."

Kagome hissed quietly, "Fine, _no one_ would like a pervert like Miroku."

Sango gave her a smug look before turning her attention back to Inuyasha.

"Kikyo likes you!" she yelled up to him.

They both heard him curse.

"What else is new!" he snapped. "I knew that piece of information ever since _I met her_!"

With that said, Inuyasha returned to his sketching. Sango gave Kagome a grin and resumed eating her sandwich. Kagome stared up at Inuyasha a moment longer before she looked back down. She picked up an apple from her lunch and bit into it. She shifted her position so that she was now completely facing Sango. However, Kagome remained quiet so her friend could finish her lunch in peace. Her eyes shifted over to the base of the large oak tree, which was about 3 yards away from where she and Sango were sitting. At the base of the tree sat her cousin who was hastily trying to finish homework that was due today in their class after lunch.

Kagome smiled in spite of herself.

'I know Miroku and Sango like each other,' she thought. 'It'll only be a matter of time before they'll be in a relationship.'

* * *

:o:O:o:O:o: After School :o:O:o:O:o:

"From now on, we'll have at least five minutes of meditation before we start training," Inuyasha said to Kikyo and Kagome, who were both sitting cross-legged on the floor. "That way, we can relax our bodies."

"We should have done that ever since day one," Kagome muttered and was answered with a hard slap on the shoulder with the slab of wood that Inuyasha still carried in his hands.

Kikyo shook her head at Kagome.

"I'm not going to really go into discipline," Inuyasha sighed. "But you two know what they used to do in the old days, right?"

Kikyo's hand shot up in the air and she waved her arm back and forth wildly.

"Kikyo," Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "This isn't school. Just go ahead and speak."

"Well, in the old days, the sensei would make the student carry buckets of water in order to learn discipline," she said.

"That's correct," Inuyasha gave her a single nod. "But today, we need more than buckets of water to have students learn discipline."

Inuyasha slammed the bottom of the slab of wood against the floor. Kikyo and Kagome flinced.

"These days, we need things like this piece of wood and a whole lot of force," Inuyasha said. "Isn't that sad?"

Kikyo and Kagome nodded grimly. There was a period of silence before Inuyasha spoke again.

"Anyways, discipline should be old stuff for you guys. So that's it about discipline," he declared, letting the piece of wood fall to the floor with a loud clatter. "You two should know the meditation position already. And if you don't, you belong in the beginner class, not intermediate."

* * *

"Today, we're working with jujutsu," Miroku said as he tightened the sash around his waist and sat down on the wooden floor. Sango followed suit.

Miroku cleared his voice before speaking again, "Last week, we worked with judo which was, like I said, developed from jujutsu. There are four basic types of jujutsu: the first, originated during 1337-1563 uses a type of grappling called 'yawara-ge' that can be performed without the use of weapons. The second type was used during the Edo Period, 1603-1867. This type was used to drive out patrons that were drunk or refused to pay."

Sango laughed, "I heard about that one from my father. He told me that it was a funny kind of jujutsu and the least noble of the four jujutsu basic types."

"It is," Miroku gave a small smile before continuing on. "The most modern type, the third type of jujutsu, was developed outside of Japan and was altered and reformed in different countries. One example is Brazil, which is where Gracie jujutsu was created. Gracie jujutsu made jujutsu the top in prominent martial arts. And last but not least, the fourth jujutsu style, yoshin-ryu, is the best-known out of all four basic types of jujutsu. Yoshin-ryu, meaning willow-heart school, teaches us to be like a willow. To not "bend yourself", but to rather "bend back by outside forces and spring back."

"Which is the basic principle of jujutsu," Sango concluded.

"Correct. In jujutsu, you strike vital points, clamp and shut off blood vessels, and use choking techniques to make your opponent unconscious. Furthermore, it makes you build up stamina and self-confidence, and improve concentration…which is what I'm trying to help you do. However, the sole reason for jujutsu is for self-defense."

Miroku rested his voice for a minute to take a breath, "Alright, that's all for the lecture. We'll learn a little more and more about jujutsu, along with other styles of martial arts as the session goes on."

He stood up and faced Sango. "Hey, I was just wondering…you sure that flip you pulled on me a few days ago was the only judo move you know?"

Sango sat thoughtfully on the floor.

"Actually," she said slowly. "I know one more move."

Miroku's eyes lit up, "Why don't you show me then?"

Sango stood up and walked up to Miroku until they were a foot apart. She turned around so her back was facing Miroku and she rested her right arm straight across her back so that the upper part and lower part of her arm were at a ninety degree angle.

"Could you push my arm against my back with both your hands for a second?" Sango asked. Miroku did so. "I learned that if someone was doing this to me, I'd have to do this-"

Sango cut off, got her free left arm and slipped it under Miroku's left arm, hooking it securely and then turned in a clock-wise motion in a quick spin. She smiled triumphantly to herself when Miroku's hands lost hold of her right arm as she kept spinning and spinning. Her left arm, still hooked to Miroku's, tightened and she halted to a stop abruptly. During that quick moment, when Miroku bumped lightly against her as he also halted to a stop, Sango latched her right arm securely around his, took a deep breath, leaned forward…

….and flipped him hard onto the floor onto his back.

Sango lowered herself onto the floor so that she was kneeling and panted heavily. The two didn't speak for a long time.

When he caught his breath, Miroku groaned, "I am never, _ever_ going to get used to your flips."

* * *

"HAI!" Kikyo and Kagome, both kneeling on the floor, each slammed down the edge of their cloth-wrapped hands against a piece of wood that was two inches thick and that rested a foot off the ground. Both pieces of wood cracked.

Inuyasha bent down to inspect both boards of wood.

"Good, Kikyo," Inuyasha said when he saw that her board had split in half right in the middle.

Inuyasha moved on over to Kagome's board which had also split into two pieces, "Good, but you might want to work on your aim a little, Kagome. It's a bit off-centered."

He straightened and then ordered, "Alright you two, one more time!"

Kagome's hands clenched tightly. He'd been saying those lines to her for the past half-hour. She had split the board perfectly in half each time, just like Kikyo.

'He's picking on me!' Kagome thought angrily. 'This is almost considered _beginner_ stuff and he knows it!'

Inuyasha settled a new piece of wood in front of both girls. Kikyo and Kagome held their hands ready in the air above the boards.

'I'll show him,' Kagome solemnly thought as she raised her right hand above her head, ready to strike the piece of wood in front of her.

Both she and Kikyo slammed their hands against the wooden boards a moment later, "HAI!"

Two cracks were heard once again.

Inuyasha glanced down at Kikyo's split board, which was, once again, split perfectly in half. "Great job, Kikyo."

Kikyo made a proud face. Then, she and Inuyasha looked over at Kagome's split board…

…and both stared in terror at the large and dangerously sharp splinters that were sticking out like needles from the crack that Kagome had formed with her hand. However, the board had still been split perfectly in half.

Kagome smiled up at Inuyasha, "So, how'd I do?"

A/N: Well, that's it for this chapter.

Just to let you all know, I'm alternating the classes in this fic. So in some chapters, I'll talk about drama class. In some, I'll talk about the clubs that they're all in. In some, I'll talk about them in Mr. Nobunaga's class…I'm sure you all get the point by now.

All of the information about martial arts in this fanfiction are true. I don't make it up. **XD** However, about the tidbit where the teacher makes his students carry buckets to learn discipline, I'm not so sure. I can't remember if it was for discipline, or if it was used to see if the student was ready for the training…or something like that.

Anyways, I'm speeding this fic up. You know how there are at least two chapters about school days before there's a chapter about the Saturdays where Inuyasha and Kagome go shopping together? Well, the next chapter won't be a school day…it'll be a Saturday instead (which usually makes it a more interesting chapter, in my opinion since a lot of fluff happens on those days…**XD**). **:-)**

Please review!


	8. Her Weak Spot

**Shrine of Love**

A/N: I know, I know. I _finally_ updated…after 3 months. **x.x** Sorry about that everyone! I was busy.

Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 8: Her Weak Spot

"I'm off!" Kagome yelled into the open doorway before closing the front door. She sighed and then climbed down the shrine steps. "I sure don't want to be late like last weekend. Inuyasha will just end up embarrassing me again."

When she reached the foot of the stairs, she unlocked her bike-which had stayed overnight at Houshi Shrine from last Saturday to recent Thursday…and which she had ridden home on yesterday-and climbed on.

As Kagome pedaled off, she looked up into the beautiful morning sky and smiled. It was going to be a good day today. She could tell.

Today, she wore her hair in a single braid that hung limply on her back. Instead of wearing a skirt this weekend, after seeing what had happened to her last weekend when she wore one, Kagome had on a plain pair of dark blue jeans, which was topped off with a light yellow tank top and brown sandals.

It was already the next to last week of September.

"I'm going to be turning seventeen soon," Kagome mumbled. "My birthday is next month…"

She sighed. She doubted that Miroku would remember. And she sure didn't want Inuyasha and Sango to know. They'd definitely both want to milk her at school that day.

Kagome sighed again and continued pedaling at a steady pace. Moments later, Houshi Shrine came into view.

"Inuyasha isn't outside yet," she frowned as she reached the front of the steps. She climbed off her bike and made the long trip up the stairs. By the time she reached the top, she was panting with exhaustion. She collapsed onto the first step. She sat there for several minutes before she got fed up with waiting.

"Inuyasha…where are you, you bastard," Kagome puffed impatiently.

"Right behind you," a voice said in her ear…which made Kagome nearly topple forward.

"Whoa, watch yourself," Inuyasha laughed, gripping a hand on one of her shoulders. Kagome shrugged him off.

"Do you enjoy scaring me?" she turned around and glared at Inuyasha, who had squatted down beside her. Today, he wore cargo pants with a red buttoned-up, short-sleeved collar shirt and the same sandals from last weekend.

"I wouldn't exactly call it scaring," he said thoughtfully, staring down at the floor. "More like teasing."

Inuyasha fixed his eyes back on her, "By the way, don't ever call me 'bastard' again."

"But isn't that what you _are_?" Kagome sniffed.

"No."

"Kami, I hate you."

"I know you don't mean that, but if it makes you feel better, go right ahead and keep saying it."

Kagome rolled her eyes.

"Kagome!" a voice was suddenly heard. "Good morning!"

The bickering pair turned their views towards the shrine and saw Miroku running towards them.

"I see you're not wearing a skirt today, Kagome," Miroku remarked. Kagome rolled her eyes again. Was it just her, or did he sound disappointed? Her cousin was such a pervert.

"Anyways," Miroku said, changing the topic. "You two just take your time today. And can you post these flyers up in the market area and around the park?"

"What're these for?" Kagome eyed him curiously.

"To help us find a teacher for the beginner class and other information for people who want to sign up for lessons."

Miroku handed Kagome a thick stack of flyers and two rolls of tape before heading back inside the shrine.

"Guess we better get a move on," Kagome stated as she watched Miroku's retreating figure until he disappeared from sight. Then, something clicked in her head, "Hey, Inuyasha, why did Miroku tell us to take our time today? Shouldn't we be doing the opposite since we now have to post up flyers too? Plus, we have shopping, cooking, and all that other stuff we do on Saturdays…"

When she was given no reply, Kagome turned and saw that Inuyasha was already halfway down the steps.

She scowled loudly, "HEY!"

* * *

"I should expect at least one slap each Saturday from you, shouldn't I?" Inuyasha remarked sourly as both he and Kagome waited for the red light to turn green. He removed one of his hands from the bike handles and rubbed the fresh slap mark on his cheek.

"_I waited for you_ and you just ended up _leaving me_!" Kagome said with a high-pitched voice.

"Need I remind you of last Saturday?"

"You may have waited for me last Saturday, and I may have left before you for shopping, but you caught up and _I_ ended up being left behind!"

The light turned green. Both of them pedaled off. It was a brief moment before Inuyasha replied.

"I could've started riding my bike before you today, but I waited for you at the bottom of the steps…where, if I may point out, you just _had_ to slap me."

"You deserve it! You have no idea what you put me through!" Kagome hissed.

Inuyasha smiled slyly, "You truly are cute when you're angry…"

* * *

"Let me guess, your favorite food is ramen," Kagome said slowly.

"How'd you guess?"

"Well, the fact that we're standing in front of a whole shelf of it gives it away, don't you think?" Kagome rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Now she knew why Miroku had told both of them to take their time today. Ramen was definitely not hard to cook. Not at all.

"Guess so," Inuyasha shrugged. "Any particular flavor you want?"

"Doesn't matter to me."

"Hm," Inuyasha's mouth curled up into a smile. "Same here. Miroku's picky though. The only kind of ramen he likes is the shrimp flavored ones."

Once he was done choosing three cups of ramen, Inuyasha headed to the cash register, Kagome trailing behind him.

"We'll drop these into our bike baskets and then we'll start taping the flyers around this area. Does that sound good to you?" Inuyasha asked Kagome, who nodded. After everything was paid, the two headed out the store and Inuyasha settled the bag of ramen into his bike basket while Kagome picked up the stack of flyers-leaving some behind for the park-and rolls of tape.

The two split the area into two sections, one person to a section. Inuyasha took half of the flyers and a roll of tape before heading off to his section in the farther end of the market area.

"This is going to take awhile," Kagome said under her breath as she taped a flyer to a pole. "The stack is so big."

She looked around and saw that Inuyasha had already taped quite a lot of flyers up while she had only taped up one.

"Ayah! I'm falling behind!" she shrieked. She scrambled over to an empty wall and taped up another flyer. Right then, she noticed that she was standing right beside the entrance of Rin's Ice Cream.

Kagome's eyes softened, "I wonder if we'll be eating ice cream today…"

She blinked and then shook her head, "There won't _be_ a chance of that happening if I take forever to put up these stupid flyers."

So for the next fifteen minutes, both she and Inuyasha put up flyers around the market area and met up in the middle.

"Done?" Inuyasha asked Kagome when he saw her.

"Yes," she answered.

Inuyasha looked at the watch on his wrist and his eyes flickered over to Rin's Ice Cream, "Do you want to get some ice cream from Rin's?"

Kagome looked down, drawing an imaginary square on the ground with her foot, "Sure. If you want to."

"I guess we should. It's pretty hot," Inuyasha observed as he wiped the sweat on his forehead away with the back of his hand. "And I'd say we both deserve it, don't you?"

Before Kagome could answer, Inuyasha took her hand and led her into Rin's Ice Cream. They were met with a blast of cold air from the air conditioning.

'That feels so good,' Kagome breathed and closed her eyes for a few seconds as they both stood in line. Her eyes snapped back open when she felt Inuyasha pull her forward.

"Ohayo!" Rin piped. "What can I do for you two today? The house special again?"

"We'll just take two ice cream cones this time," Inuyasha said, placing money onto the counter. "We're a little busy today."

"Okay then," Rin said, still cheerful. "What flavors would you like?"

"I'll take vanilla. What do you want, Kagome?"

When she didn't answer, Inuyasha repeated the question again. Kagome shook her head as if to clear her mind of something and said that she'd settle with strawberry.

"Vanilla and strawberry ice cream cones coming right up," Rin smiled and jumped off the tall stool she sat on.

"Are you feeling okay?" Inuyasha asked Kagome as they waited. Kagome noticed the concern in his eyes.

'He's actually worried about me,' she thought happily.

"Because if you don't feel well, we can go straight back to the shrine instead of to the park," Inuyasha said slowly.

"No," Kagome chirped. "I'm fine. Just a little hot."

Inuyasha stared at her as if she were weird. Rin came up to them a second later.

"Here you go! Vanilla and strawberry ice cream cones!" she grinned and gave Inuyasha his change. "Enjoy!"

The two took their cones and thanked Rin before walking out the door.

"The park is right across the street. Let's just wheel our bikes over there instead of riding them," Inuyasha suggested.

And so that's what they did. The two kept quiet during the entire trip there. By the time they reached the park, they'd already finished their ice creams. The both of them settled their bikes near a bench and then separated what was left of the flyers into two stacks, each of them taking a pile and a roll of tape. Kagome and Inuyasha split up and slowly posted the flyers up around the park. After they were both finished, they both made their way to the bench where their bikes were stationed next to.

"Why don't we take a break," Inuyasha said and sat back against the bench, inhaling the fresh air. Kagome settled down beside him. The two sat quietly, watching a group of children playing soccer and another group of children playing on the playground.

'This week,' Kagome felt herself blush. 'This week, we're going to practice the kissing scene.'

She slightly turned her head and fixed her eyes on Inuyasha. A few seconds later, his eyes suddenly clashed with hers. Why did this keep happening? Kagome found herself speechless.

"Thinking about me?" he smirked.

"You wish," she grunted.

"You know, you sure are grouchy on Saturdays," he narrowed his eyes.

"You know why?" Kagome asked sweetly. "_Because of you!_ You bother me the most on Saturdays!"

"Hm," a corner of Inuyasha's mouth twitched. "I think of Saturdays as quality time for the both of us…I think we should be spending time together anyway…so we can get along better. You know. For the play."

He settled a hand on top of her head.

"Don't you agree?" he asked with a cheerful voice as he ruffled her hair. Kagome slapped his hand away.

"Stop treating me like a kid!" she snapped. "Arg, you messed my hair up!"

Kagome let loose her braided hair. When she made a move to put her hair into a ponytail, Inuyasha caught her wrist again.

Kagome sent a venomous glare towards him.

"Leave your hair down," Inuyasha said with a quiet voice. "You look better that way…to me that is."

Kagome reddened, yet decided to leave her hair down. A long and awkward silence passed between them before anyone spoke again.

"Hm, you know what I notice a lot from you?" Inuyasha asked slyly. "You blush a lot. And mostly around me."

"Don't be conceited," she snorted, finally getting over his compliment from earlier.

"I think it's cute."

"You think _everything_ is cute."

"Obviously, you have affections towards me."

"Yeah, a _teacher-student_ affection."

"You sure about that?"

"Arg!" Kagome stood up from the bench angrily. "We always go in circles in our conversations!"

She let out a shriek when Inuyasha yanked her down onto his lap. She ended up in a sideways position, so one side was facing out and the other was against Inuyasha's chest.

"Let's play the 'How many kisses will it take to calm down Kagome Higurashi?'game again," Inuyasha grinned.

"You think giving me a kiss on the nose is going to shut me up?" Kagome snapped.

"Tell me, do you have any weak spots?" Inuyasha murmured, his mouth brushing against her ear.

"No," Kagome said back stubbornly.

"You sure?"

Kagome held in a shriek when he pressed his mouth against her jaw line. Inuyasha pulled away a moment later.

"Guess that isn't a weak spot," he said thoughtfully. Kagome took that moment to push her away from him and to stand up. Inuyasha watched her as she dusted herself off.

"Lately, I've seen that training has improved you," Inuyasha stated, leaning back against the bench with a sigh. "I think I should start being concerned about you beating me now."

Kagome stopped dusting off her jeans, "So you're saying that you weren't worried before?"

"Yup."

"Are you implying that I don't have the potential to?" Kagome suddenly said with a serious tone.

"All I'm implying is that I shouldn't take you lightly anymore," Inuyasha said back, his voice just as serious as hers. "You're going to be moving on to the advanced level sooner than I thought. Usually, a person doesn't move onto the next level until about a year after a training session starts, but in your case, you might be advancing in half a year."

Kagome blushed and looked away, "So…that means I'm doing well?"

"No, it means you're doing awful," Inuyasha replied sarcastically. He stood up. "Of _course_ it means you're doing well, you idiot. We have some time and it's still early. I finished all the house and shrine cleaning before you came today so we don't have to worry about all that. Let's go onto the grass, do some training, and have a match or two."

The two found a large empty space a few yards away from the group of children playing soccer. Both of them took off their sandals and put them aside. Now barefoot, Inuyasha and Kagome sat down on the grass to meditate for five minutes. When the five minutes were up, they stood up.

"Let's have a little match first," Inuyasha suggested as he cracked his knuckles. Kagome gave him a suspicious look.

"Alright," she said halfheartedly.

Both of them got into position and stood in the same stance. Kagome made the first attack. She charged quickly at Inuyasha with a held back fist. Once she was a foot away from him, she launched a punch. She cursed underneath her breath as he dodged. It was then that she realized she was completely vulnerable to any attack. A moment later, she felt all the air come out of her as she was given a hard punch in the stomach that sent her flying backward onto the grass three yards away.

Kagome groaned in pain. Inuyasha walked to her.

"You're a little sloppy today," he frowned, squatting down beside her. "You left yourself completely open to your opponent."

"I realized that on my own, thank you very much," she snapped back. Kagome sat up painfully and rubbed her sore stomach.

"You didn't have to punch so hard," she complained.

Inuyasha laughed, "You haven't seen anything yet. That was only a fourth of the real strength I have."

"It still hurt," she grumbled.

"Get used to it. You'll face even bigger pain in future matches. Come on, I'll teach you how to make your punches more effective," Inuyasha said as he pulled her up onto her feet. "Outstretch an arm like you're punching someone with it, would you?"

Kagome obediently did so.

"To make a punch more effective, you have to put more force in it and make it a sharp blow," Inuyasha explained. "However, don't use all the force you have. Keep some of it to keep your ground just incase you miss or the opponent dodges."

"Got it."

"And most of all, make sure your arm is straight…which yours definitely is not."

"It _is_ straight!" Kagome protested.

"Straight, my ass."

Inuyasha caught hold of her fist and dragged her toward him. Kagome immediately blushed as her back was pressed against his chest.

"First off, relax your body, idiot," Inuyasha murmured, latching an arm tightly around her waist. "I won't loosen my hold on you until you do."

Kagome reluctantly followed his order.

"Okay, good," Inuyasha said slowly as he slackened the arm around her. "Now hold out your punching arm as straight as you can in front of you."

Kagome held out her right arm.

"Alright, there's your problem," Inuyasha said a moment after. "Your arm isn't supposed to be level with your eyes. It's supposed to be level with your shoulder…a little up…now a little down…down more…now a bit up…"

Kagome moaned in frustration, "Forget all this. Let's move on to something else."

Inuyasha didn't say anything back. Instead, his right hand wrapped around hers.

"Your fist goes…right here," he said as he adjusted her arm around. Kagome, suddenly feeling subconscious, stiffened. As a response, Inuyasha tightened the arm around her waist again. "Don't make us go back to square one, Kagome."

"Exactly _why_ do you have to hold onto my waist while we do this?" she grumbled.

"What, would you rather have my arm around your neck and choke you to death whenever you don't relax?" Inuyasha countered, which left Kagome wordless. He paused and then said in a sly voice, "Oh, wait. I get what's happening. You don't like me getting too close to you like this."

"Give the guy a prize," Kagome rolled her eyes. "Let go of my arm, would you? It's getting tired. What, with it sticking straight out and all."

To her relief, he let go of her arm…but to her horror, he put that arm around her waist so that both arms were circling her.

"Did anyone tell you that you smell nice?" Inuyasha murmured against her ear. "Because you do."

Kagome felt her heart thud hard. A minute later, she gave a slight twitch when Inuyasha began nuzzling her neck.

"Inuyasha," she said hastily. "Stop it-"

She cut off when Inuyasha pressed his mouth against the curve of where her head and neck met. She felt her knees buckle.

Inuyasha, who began laughing hard, caught her before she fell.

"You conniving jerk!" Kagome screamed shakily, pushing herself away from him. "Trying to seduce me!"

"Correction: trying to find your weak spot," Inuyasha pointed out, grinning. He winked. "Which I found, didn't I? Guess I know what to do now if I'm about to lose to you in a match."

Kagome turned beet red. She felt her hands tighten into fists at her sides, but before she could launch a punch at him, Inuyasha walked away from her.

"Final match before we go back to the shrine," he said loudly. "Get ready."

Kagome grumbled and dug her feet in the grass to hold her ground. She crossed her arms and watched Inuyasha as she waited for him.

"What are you doing?" she asked curiously as he began unbuttoning his collar shirt.

"Taking off my shirt," Inuyasha replied casually as if the answer were obvious. "What does it _look_ like I'm doing?"

"Stripping," Kagome said with a small sniff. That one word earned her a chuckle.

"Do you want me to?" Inuyasha asked with one of his sly looks.

"Heck no!" she exclaimed. Yet, when she saw that Inuyasha had a black muscle shirt underneath the collar shirt, she was-for some reason-a little disappointed.

"Alright, you get half of my strength in this match," Inuyasha said, throwing the shirt down on the grass beside their sandals and stood a few yards away from Kagome. "I want to see at least three sharp punches, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah."

The two got into a stance and this time, their stances were different from one another. However, right before any of them could start an attack, a kid's voice shouted, "Hey, look everyone! There're two people who are gonna fight!"

Inuyasha and Kagome turned their attention toward the group of children who were playing soccer…only, they weren't playing soccer anymore, they were heading towards the match. Kids and their parents who were at the playground watched from afar, curious to see what the fuss was all about.

"Let's just say this match is an advertisement or demo of what we do at Houshi Shrine for all the people at the park today," Inuyasha shook his head with a small smile. Kagome nodded. Neither of them had dropped their stances. In a minute, they were surrounded by excited kids.

"After you," Kagome offered when none of them started an attack. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow and answered, "If you say so."

The kids immediately shut up when Inuyasha darted towards Kagome, his arm held back for a punch. Kagome got in a position that would block the punch.

'What the-' her eyes widened in surprise when Inuyasha dropped his held back arm and launched a roundhouse kick at her instead.

"HAI!" he shouted out. His foot made full contact with the side of her body. Kagome felt her body fly to the side of the match grounds a good distance away. The bystander kids scooted away from her to avoid danger.

'Oh, Kami,' Kagome winced, staying down on the grass and touching her side. 'He kicks five times harder than Kikyo…and this is supposed to be only half his strength.'

Kagome yelped and rolled quickly to the side when a fist came down at her face.

"Your reflexes are quick. Good," Inuyasha complimented briefly as Kagome stood up and made distance between them. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. By the time she looked up again, Inuyasha was already running towards her again.

She was ready to take him on for real now. Kagome did a double flip, which made her within reaching distance, and then jabbed a sharp blow to Inuyasha's face. The blow hit him in the cheek.

'Yes!' Kagome thought triumphantly, only to frown when Inuyasha grabbed hold of her outstretched fist firmly and flung his arm back hard. Kagome bit her lip as she soared over him and her back collided with the ground.

"Nice try," he smirked, bending over her. Kagome growled and swiveled her body quickly so that her feet were facing toward him. Then, with as much strength as she could muster, she slammed her foot into his stomach, just like he'd done to her in their previous match that day. Inuyasha collapsed onto the grass. Taking that moment as an advantage, Kagome straddled him quickly, and as one of her hands held one of his shoulders down, she formed a fist with her other hand and socked Inuyasha square in the face with a straight arm. She heard Inuyasha curse under his breath.

"Damn, wench," he muttered. Before Kagome could lash out another punch, Inuyasha wrapped his hands around both her wrists and sat up. Now, they were in a position where Inuyasha was sitting upright on the grass and Kagome was sitting right in his lap, the two of them face to face.

'We're-we're so close,' Kagome's breath caught in her throat. She cried out in pain when Inuyasha roughly pushed her arms behind her back and kept them there, his hands still on her wrists. 'Kami, it feels like I have handcuffs on my wrists right now.'

It was then that she realized that his arms were around her.

'It's no big deal,' she squeezed her eyes shut. 'He's not hugging me, he's just holding me against him so I can't escape.'

Kagome pondered the options she had left for escape and could only think of one.

She head-butted him. Hard.

Inuyasha let out a cry of agony, removing his hands from her wrists and clutched the sides of his head. Kagome took that moment to do a third sharp punch. She held back a fist and hurled it at Inuyasha's face, managing to connect with his jaw with a sharp blow.

Instead of falling onto the grass like Kagome had expected, Inuyasha still remained in an upright sitting position. She scrambled onto her feet and was about to move away from him when his hand firmly gripped one of her wrists and yanked her towards him. She landed on his lap again, her back against him now.

"3 sharp blows…you passed-but it's time to end this match," Inuyasha said, faintly panting. Kagome flinched as an arm was flung over her neck and another held back her arms and waist. A second later, Inuyasha's hold around her neck tightened into a deadly grip. It was déjà vu for her. One of their matches had ended like this before-with a headlock.

"Un-uncle," Kagome rasped weakly a minute later. "You win. Now let me go."

When he finally did, Kagome fell back onto the grass and gasped for air. The kids, who'd remained silent up to this point, started applauding and shouting excitedly, asking if the both of them would teach them some moves. Inuyasha put two fingers to his mouth and blew a shrill whistle to shut them up.

"If you all want to take lessons on martial arts, you should sign up at Houshi Shrine," Inuyasha advised them all. He stood up. "Just ask your parents if you can sign up for the beginner classes. But I suggest you guys to sign up next year when you're a little older."

That last statement caused the kids to groan in disappointment.

"The flyers tell you all the information you need to know," Kagome said tiredly, still lying on the grass. "We posted them on trees and poles everywhere around the park."

With that said, the kids darted off to look for the flyers.

"Looks like Miroku's going to get more customers eventually, huh?" Inuyasha laughed.

"Looks that way," Kagome murmured. Inuyasha lay down close beside her, plucked a piece of grass and began twirling it with his fingers.

For a few minutes, neither of them said anything. Kagome turned onto her side so that her back was facing Inuyasha.

"Inu…yasha," she said hesitantly. "I was wondering. Why do you only flirt with me? I mean, there are plenty of other girls at school you could flirt with, but out of all of them, you chose me. Why?"

"Well, I find it more fun teasing you than any other girl," she heard him respond.

She scoffed, "You haven't teased any other girl besides me!"

"True. Well then, I guess the reason is…you're different."

Kagome blinked and turned onto her other side. She found herself face to face with Inuyasha.

"Different…" he said with an unreadable expression. "…from anyone else I've met before."

* * *

"What took you guys so long?" Miroku complained. "I'm starving!"

"We didn't notice the time," Inuyasha said truthfully. He threw the shopping bag he held onto the dining table, heading to the kitchen to boil some water. "Help yourself."

Kagome shook her head when Miroku jumped at the bag and pulled out a shrimp-flavored ramen cup.

"Inuyasha and I managed to get some kids interested in taking lessons at Houshi Shrine.," she told him. "So you might be getting customers soon or next year at the very latest."

Miroku's eyes lit up, "Really? That's wonderful."

He sat down on one of the mats that surrounded the table.

"So what'd you do today?" Miroku asked curiously as he unpacked the rest of the two ramen cups and uncapped them all halfway. "You and Inuyasha sure took a long time."

"That's because we were putting up the flyers," Kagome answered.

"Oh, _really_."

"Well, we did some training in the park too," Kagome admitted. "And we went to Rin's Ice Cream after shopping."

"Thought you'd do stuff like that…" Miroku said with a secret smile. At that moment, Inuyasha came in with three pairs of chopsticks and a kettle of hot water. He poured the boiling water into the three ramen cups, settled the chopsticks onto the table, and walked back to the kitchen to put the kettle in the sink.

Miroku picked up a pair of chopsticks and took his ramen cup. Kagome took another pair of chopsticks and with them, whacked her cousin hard on the hand.

"You're supposed to wait a few minutes!" she narrowed her eyes. Miroku frowned in disappointment and put the ramen cup back on the table. When Inuyasha came back and sat down on a mat at the table, Miroku picked up his ramen cup again and started eating away.

"And I thought _I_ was the one who'd look like the glutton when eating ramen," Inuyasha laughed at his best friend.

"Well, I'm hungry," Miroku said with a full mouth. "So this is a special case."

Kagome began laughing too, in spite of herself.

"You might want to start eating," Inuyasha said, his attention suddenly directing towards her. "Miroku might go after your food."

"I don't think so," Miroku rolled his eyes. "Don't listen to him, Kagome. _Inuyasha_ might go after your food. What, with it being ramen."

Kagome gave them both a nervous laugh and picked up her chopsticks, "That's...nice to know."

The three of them finished their meal quickly and quietly.

"Kagome," Miroku said thoughtfully. "Do you have Ayame's phone number?"

Kagome looked at him questioningly, "Yeah, why?"

"So I can call her if we get a beginners teacher."

The stare Kagome and Inuyasha gave Miroku afterward made him uneasy.

"What?" he demanded. "I'm not asking for her phone number so I can ask her out!"

"You sure about that?" Inuyasha and Kagome asked simultaneously.

"You guys don't believe me? What kind of friend and cousin are you guys!" Miroku said, displeased.

"And what kind of monk-in-training are you?" Inuyasha countered. "A perverted one, that's what. Not very monk-like if you ask me."

Kagome stifled a laugh, "Calm down, Miroku. I'll tell you Ayame's number."

"_Thank _you! Wait, I need to get a pen and paper…" Miroku ran out of the room.

Inuyasha shook his head, "Knowing him and his pursuits for women, he'll have that phone number memorized in one minute."

* * *

It was Sunday morning. Miroku walked out into the court of the shrine and stretched tiredly. He headed to the golden bell in the corner of the shrine and rung it seven times.

"What to eat," he sighed deeply. "Oh, how I wish Inuyasha or Kagome were here…"

"Uh, excuse me?" a voice spoke up from behind him.

Miroku jumped and turned around to find him facing a teenage male that looked the same age as him.

"Ehehehe…welcome to Houshi Shrine," Miroku laughed nervously. "Can I help you?"

The visitor scratched his head with a hand, "Actually, I should be asking that. You see, my family and I just moved into town yesterday, and today was the first time I got to really look around…and when I went grocery shopping, I saw a flyer about this shrine needing a teacher for a beginner class for martial arts-"

"You want to sign up as an instructor for the beginner class?" Miroku's eyes suddenly lit up. "Kami, this is great! We've been looking all over for one! Follow me!"

Miroku led the visitor to the shrine office and pulled out a sheet of paper and pen, which he both handed cheerfully to the male.

"Just fill both sides of this form and you'll be all set," Miroku said happily.

The male took the form and pen and sat down on one of the chairs in the room.

"So, how experienced are you in martial arts?" Miroku asked.

The male looked up from the form for a brief second to answer Miroku, "I'm a black-belt."

Miroku stared in surprise, "This is so…fortunate."

"Well, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want to hire an instructor who's _not_ a black-belt, now would you?" the male asked, which earned him a laugh.

For a period of time, the two said nothing. Only the sound of the pen writing could be heard.

"So," Miroku paused. "When can you start training?"

"Well, tomorrow if you want. But I'll only be able to help on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Is that okay?"

"Sure," Miroku replied and then quietly walked away, not wanting to disturb the soon-to-be-instructor again during his paperwork. He walked to the room next door and picked up a phone, dialing Inuyasha's home number.

The phone rang. Rin picked up, "Hello?"

"Hi, Rin. This is Miroku. Is Inuyasha home?"

"No, he's out right now. Sorry. Do you want me to give him a message?"

"Well, actually, this news concerns you and Shippou, so this message is for you too…We finally acquired a martial arts instructor for beginners."

Miroku heard Rin squeal on the other line, "Really! Shippou and I can start learning?"

"Yup. Training will be on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, starting tomorrow."

"Alright! I can't wait! I'll tell Inuyasha once he gets home. Thanks for calling!" with that said, Rin hung up.

Next, Miroku dialed Ayame's phone number. Ayame herself picked up. She was as enthusiastic as Rin was and told Miroku that she'd be ready to start her training tomorrow.

When Miroku turned off the phone, he sighed, "Rin and Ayame are two of the most enthusiastic people I have ever known."

He made his way back to the shrine office where he found the visitor done with his paperwork.

"So, I'm guessing your last name is Houshi?" the visitor asked as he gave Miroku the form and pen.

"Yeah…but you can just call me Miroku," Miroku outstretched his hand toward the visitor. "What's yours?"

The male took Miroku's hand and shook it, "Ookami…but you can just call me Kouga."

A/N: Hahaha! Another character enters the fray! Some of you guys made guesses about the instructor for the beginners and guessed right. What will happen next? **:p**

Please review!


	9. Bonjour to a New Rival

**Shrine of Love**

A/N: Hi, everyone! Yes, I'm still alive (although, I'm pretty sure I won't be for long -hides from mob of angry people-).

I am SO, SO, SO, SO, _SO_ sorry for the long update! **X.X** Wow, this tops it all. _Four_ months!

Chapter 9: Bonjour to a New Rival

"I'm a little early today," Kagome sighed heavily as she walked through the school gates. "No one that I know is here yet."

She cut off when she abruptly bumped into someone.

"Ah, I'm sorry!" she bowed twice. "I wasn't paying attention!"

A strong hand settled on her chin and pulled her head slowly up. Kagome's eyes met with dark blue ones.

"It's alright. No need to apologize so many times," the male teenager in front of her said. He grinned. "In fact, I don't mind having a pretty mademoiselle bump into me."

Mademoiselle. This guy knew French.

"Are you from France?" Kagome asked, blushing a bit at his comment. He shook his head.

"No," he replied. "I was born here in Japan, but I spent all of last year in France…"

He paused and blinked, "Ah, how rude of me. I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Kouga Ookami."

"It's nice to meet you," Kagome smiled. "I'm Kagome Higurashi."

"It's a pleasure to meet you…Mademoiselle Kagome," Kouga said, taking one of Kagome's hands in his. Then, with a graceful gesture, he bent down and kissed her hand. Kagome turned her head away, her cheeks flushed.

"Uh, Kouga, you don't have to put the 'Mademoiselle' in the front of my name," she said shyly.

"Well, it's a French thing."

"I see. So are you new here?" Kagome questioned, tilting her head to the side slightly.

"Yeah. I'm starting classes at this school today," Kouga scratched the back of his head. "And I hate to admit it, but I don't know where the office is. So, if you don't mind, could you help me out by taking me there?"

"Sure, just think of it as a payback for bumping into you," Kagome laughed. She led him to the office quickly. Ayame stood behind the counter.

"Kagome!" she beamed. "Can I help you?"

"Hey, Ayame. Actually, it's not me who needs help…it's this guy," Kagome said, pushing Kouga up to the counter. "He's a new student here and needs his schedule."

Ayame found herself gazing at Kouga a second later. When she realized that she was rudely staring, she tore her eyes away.

"Eh, good morning. Welcome to Shikon no Tama High," she stuttered with a dazed look. "Can I have your name?"

"Kouga Ookami," he stated shortly. Ayame quietly printed out his schedule, trying to avoid his eyes the whole time.

"Here you go. Have a nice day," she bowed her head. Kouga flashed a quick grin at her before following Kagome out the door.

"Kouga, just out of curiosity…how come you didn't kiss Ayame's hand like you did mine?" Kagome asked. Kouga smiled broadly.

"Because I only do that to women who I'm fond of," he answered.

"But you just met me a few minutes ago."

"Well, there's something special about you. You're different from other girls. I can tell."

Kagome halted to a stop. The words Inuyasha had said to her on Saturday replayed in her head again.

_You're different…different…from anyone else I've met before._

"And besides," Kouga winked, looping an arm around her waist. They had made it back onto the outside school courts again. "I've taken a certain liking to you. It was probably destiny that made you bump into me."

"Ehehe…yeah, destiny," Kagome laughed nervously.

'Oh, Kami,' she thought. 'Don't tell me I'm going to have _another_ person who's going to endlessly flirt with me!'

"OI!" a voice interrupted loudly. Kouga and Kagome turned their heads. Inuyasha, with narrowed eyes, stared back at them from a few feet away.

"What do you think you're doing with her?" he said in a deadly low voice to Kouga.

"Why, talking to her, monsieur," Kouga said coolly. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"First off," Inuyasha glared. "What's with the 'monsieur' crap?"

"It's French."

"Well, I'm sorry to tell you this, but this isn't France. It's Japan."

"I'm well aware of that," Kouga replied calmly. "But is it wrong to speak another language? Anyways, I was talking to my new dear friend, Mademoiselle Kagome-"

"_Mademoiselle_ Kagome?"

"Well, she's a lovely lady and should be treated respectfully, as all ladies should."

"Well, you'd be more respectful to her by keeping your filthy hands off her," Inuyasha shot back.

At that comment, Kouga let go of Kagome's waist.

"Excuse me, but is someone jealous here?" Kouga smirked.

Inuyasha wavered for a second before replying back, "Why would I be jealous? She's nothing more than a student to me."

Kagome narrowed her eyes at the last statement.

"Yeah, just a _student_…a student who's one of the people you hangout with during lunch," she interrupted. "A student you flirt _daily_ with!"

"Whose side are you on?" Inuyasha narrowed his eyes back at her.

"Don't take your stupid anger out on Kagome," Kouga barked.

"Don't tell me what to do," Inuyasha snapped back.

Kagome rolled her eyes as their argument lengthened.

"Good morning, Kagome," Sango's voice piped up behind her. Kagome turned around and smiled at her friend.

"Hi, Sango," she greeted. Kagome looked to her left and then to her right. "Have you seen Miroku?"

"Oh, yeah. He was waiting for me by the school gate," Sango answered.

"So where is he now?"

Sango jabbed a thumb in the direction of the gate. Kagome spotted her cousin lying on the floor with a huge lump on his head.

"Let me guess," she laughed nervously. "He tried groping you?"

"Right."

Kagome shook her head and then brought her attention back to the quarreling male teenagers in front of her. When one of them shot an insult at the other, the other person had a comeback that was as bad as the insult thrown at them.

"Hey, Kagome," Miroku said beside Kagome a moment later. Kagome's eyes flickered over to him.

"Hi," she stated. Miroku greeted Sango, and gave a nervous laugh when she gave him a deadly glare. His attention switched to the scene in front of him, Kagome, and Sango. His face brightened. "Kouga!"

Kouga switched his attention from Inuyasha to Miroku instantly. Inuyasha growled. So the bastard's name was Kouga.

"Miroku," Kouga said with a surprised tone.

"Fancy seeing you here," Miroku smiled back. "Are you going to this school now?"

"Yup," Kouga sighed and straightened, completely forgetting that he was in a verbal fight.

"I see you and Inuyasha have met," Miroku continued. He turned to Inuyasha. "In case you didn't know, this is Kouga."

"We've met," Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"And guess what?" Miroku said cheerfully. "Kouga's going to be teaching the beginners' class."

He turned to Kouga.

"_And_," Miroku said. "Inuyasha teaches the intermediate class. So that means that you'll both be coworkers."

Inuyasha and Kouga's jaws dropped open.

Then, they simultaneously exclaimed, "I'm going to be working with _him_?"

* * *

"Everyone, meet Kouga Ookami," Ms. Kaede said straight-forwardly at the start of drama class. "He just transferred here."

"From France," Kouga added, grinning at the girls. "Bonjour, everyone."

Several girls in the class giggled. Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest.

'Conceited bastard,' he thought with a snort.

Ms. Kaede coughed, "Well, Kouga, welcome to the class. Right now, we're doing a play on the story 'Sleeping Beauty'."

"Very romantic story, if I do say so myself," Kouga commented.

"Yes," Ms. Kaede smiled faintly. "And we need a replacement for one of the characters in the play since he transferred to a different school. I'd say you arrived to Shikon no Tama High at the right time."

Kouga gave her a broad smile, "Who plays as Sleeping Beauty?"

"Ms. Higurashi."

"You mean Kagome? Oh, she's the perfect person for that," Kouga said, scanning the crowd for Kagome. When he spotted her, he winked at her. Kagome reddened. Kouga turned back to Ms. Kaede. "So what part am I filling in?"

"The father of the prince."

Kouga raised an eyebrow, "So who's the lucky guy that'll be playing prince and kissing Kagome?"

"That would be Mr. Takahashi," Ms. Kaede replied, pointing at Inuyasha.

Kouga's head slowly turned toward Inuyasha's direction, "_Him_? _He's_ going to be kissing Kagome?"

Ms. Kaede sighed, "It's a play, Kouga. All the things that happen between the characters won't be real feelings."

Indicating that the discussion was over, Ms. Kaede changed the subject and shifted her attention to the whole class. Kagome sat still in her chair, suddenly feeling down when she realized what Ms. Kaede meant by her last statement.

All the things that happened between the characters wouldn't be real feelings…including the kiss she and Inuyasha would share.

* * *

It was lunch.

Inuyasha scowled as he sat on his usual tree branch, sketching.

"He's in all my freakin' classes," he grumbled, digging the pencil tip against his sketchpad. "It's bad enough just knowing that I'll be working with him in Houshi Shrine."

He heard a faint rustle of leaves beneath him. When he glanced down, he saw Kagome struggling onto a branch near his.

Inuyasha's eyebrows rose up in surprise, 'Wow, I wouldn't have detected her coming up here if it hadn't been for the leaves.'

"Darn it, you heard me," Kagome gave a small laugh. She hauled the rest of herself onto the branch and looked up at him. "Hey, Inuyasha, I was wondering…why do you like sitting up here to draw during lunch?"

"Great view," Inuyasha replied briefly.

Kagome waited for a further response and frowned when she didn't get any. She cleared her voice and said cheerfully, "So, uh, don't Miroku and Sango look so cute together down there?"

"That's one way of putting it…if you're a girl that is."

Kagome glared up at the stubborn male that sat a few feet above her.

"You know what?" she remarked. "I think I'd prefer the 'flirty you' over the 'right now you'."

Inuyasha stopped sketching and stared down at her.

And kept staring.

"What?" Kagome asked, irritated. Inuyasha started laughing.

"You're funny," he finally said when he was at mid-laugh. Kagome sent another glare up toward him. How the heck was her remark funny? Inuyasha balanced his sketchpad on the thick branch he sat on and made his way down to the branch that Kagome sat on. When Inuyasha settled down beside her, Kagome turned her head away.

"You know what _I_ think?" she heard Inuyasha say a moment later. "I think I'd prefer the 'interesting you' over the 'boring you'."

Kagome turned her head to face him and was wordless when she saw his violet eyes laughing back at her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"It means what I said," Inuyasha answered slyly, tilting his head to the side slightly. "I prefer the 'interesting you'. But then again, you're always interesting to me."

Kagome felt her face flush. He'd shifted to his 'flirty self'.

"Actually, you're more _strange_ than interesting," Inuyasha added as an after thought. Kagome held a fist back for a punch. Inuyasha started laughing again. "Careful, I know your weak spot now, remember?"

Kagome immediately dropped her arm.

"No fair!" she complained. Inuyasha winked and began making his way up toward his branch again.

Kagome eyed him warily, "What are you drawing anyway?"

Inuyasha turned his sketchpad around. Kagome smiled. He'd sketched a picture of Miroku and Sango eating lunch together.

"Are you going to show them that?" she asked, glancing down at the soon-to-be couple.

"No, not until they get together," Inuyasha said, turning the sketchpad around to add final touches to the drawing. "Because if I showed them now, Sango would definitely kill me."

* * *

:o:O:o:O:o: After School :o:O:o:O:o:

Inuyasha tightened the sash around his waist and walked out to the shrine steps. A few minutes later, he heard footsteps approaching him.

"Are you waiting for someone?" Kagome asked, standing beside him a moment later. She had dressed into her white gi.

"I'm expecting Rin and Shippou. Sesshoumaru should've been here by now," Inuyasha replied. As if on cue, a silver car parked in front of the shrine steps at that moment. The door on the driver's side opened and a tall male with long silver hair stepped out. A minute later, the backseat doors opened. Rin jumped out onto the sidewalk and a small boy came out behind her.

"The driver is Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha explained to Kagome. "You've met Rin. And the orange-haired kid is Shippou."

"You and your brother look nothing alike," Kagome remarked.

Inuyasha shrugged, "I got a lot of my appearance from my mother. Sesshoumaru got most of his from our father."

Both of them waited patiently for the newcomers to arrive at the top of the steps. Sesshoumaru was the first one to reach them.

"Brother," Sesshoumaru gave a slight nod in Inuyasha's direction. His gaze drifted over to Kagome. "And you are...?"

"Oh, that's Kagome," Rin said, finally reaching them. "Don't you remember? I told you about her before."

Sesshoumaru's forehead crinkled in deep thought.

"The girl…who was with Inuyasha…when he stopped by the ice cream shop on Saturday," he recalled slowly.

"_Saturdays_, not Saturday," Rin piped. "They've been to the shop together more than once."

The corner of Sesshoumaru's mouth twitched upward.

"Winning a girl's heart over by ice cream is the kind of thing I'd only expect from my dear brother," he said.

Inuyasha waved him off, "You have to admit-it's original."

Meanwhile, Kagome felt her cheeks heat up for about the hundredth time that day. Her eyes wandered and landed on the small boy that hid behind Rin.

Sesshoumaru followed her directed gaze and spoke up, "Shippou, why don't you say hi to Kagome?"

Up close, Kagome saw that Shippou had lively green eyes. His orange-hair, tied up in a bow, seemed brighter than ever. Kagome knelt down in front of him just as Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru started a private conversation.

"H-hi," Shippou stammered.

"Hi, Shippou," she smiled. "I'm Kagome. Today's your first day here isn't it?"

"Y-yes," his voice cracked. Kagome frowned at his nervousness.

"There's nothing to be afraid about," she assured him. "Don't be scared of me…"

"Unless she's eating oden," Inuyasha suddenly laughed. Kagome glanced up and noticed that Sesshoumaru was gone. Inuyasha, watching her look around, answered her question before she asked it. "Sesshoumaru's on a tight schedule today. He was planning to just drop Rin and Shippou off, but Shippou refused to get out of the car unless Sesshoumaru got out too."

Inuyasha bent down and ruffled Shippou's hair, "Now let's go get you and Rin your training outfits."

* * *

"I'm late, I'm late, _I'm late_!" Ayame panicked, darting up the shrine steps. "I knew I should've left earlier! I knew I should've-"

She was cut off when she suddenly collided into another person at the top of the steps. Ayame felt herself starting to fall backwards. She was going to fall down the steps.

She squeezed her eyes shut, 'Kami, help me!'

Just when she was about to tip over, a hand clasped over her wrist and yanked her up. When she realized she was safe, Ayame slowly opened her eyes.

And saw that she was in a male's arms.

Not to mention a familiar male.

"Hey," Kouga stared back at her. "Are you okay?"

Ayame bit her lip and pushed back her blush, "I-I'm fine."

Kouga released his hold on her, much to her disappointment, and scratched his head, "Have I met you before?"

Ayame's pounding heart stopped. He'd forgotten about her. A sinking feeling began to replace her excitement.

"Yeah," she said quietly. "In the morning. I printed your schedule for you."

"Oh, that's right," Kouga said, suddenly remembering. "It's Ayumi, right?"

"_Ayame_."

"Ah, yes, Ayame. Well, it's great to see you again," Kouga replied, in a bit of a rush. "I have to get ready to teach the beginners class for martial arts here at the shrine. So, I'll see you later."

With that said, Kouga headed away.

Ayame watched him go with a dazed look. She blinked as something registered in her head. Kouga was teaching the beginners' class for martial arts. And she, Ayame, was a beginner. Her eyes widened.

Kouga was going to be her instructor.

* * *

"Yay! We're finally going to start learning martial arts!" Rin squealed happily. Shippou faintly smiled beside her.

"Okay, you two. Calm down," Kouga said firmly to the two kids he was now acquainted with. "You aren't officially starting training yet. You're only going to be watching a demonstration today."

"Aw, man!" Rin whined. "But I've been waiting all year for this!"

"Don't worry. We'll start training officially on Wednesday," Kouga answered. He sighed and looked down at the two kids. "We're supposed to have three students. Do you two know where the third one is?"

"Nope," Rin chirped. At the same time, the door slid open and revealed Ayame, who had changed into a gi.

Kouga blinked as she slid the door shut behind her, "You're in my class, Ayame?"

She shyly nodded and murmured, "I'm sorry that I'm late...sensei."

"Oh, you don't have to call me that," Kouga laughed. "Just call me by my first name."

He shifted his attention to Rin and Shippou and said, "That goes for the both of you too."

"Okay," Rin piped. Shippou nodded.

Kouga grinned at all three of his students, "Well, let's get started, shall we? Welcome to your first day at Houshi Shrine…"

"Technically, this would be about my 20th time," Rin pointed out. "I've been here before."

Kouga rolled his eyes, "Well, welcome to your first day of training then."

"But you said that training wasn't officially going to start until Wednesday," Rin countered.

Ayame giggled. Kouga let out an exasperated sigh.

"Okay, I give up," Kouga shook his head. "Anyways, let's head outside to the pond."

* * *

"I know you're fighting against a rival, but I want you to fight fair and square, Inuyasha," Miroku whispered to his best friend.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, "Don't I always?"

"I'm reminding you anyway."

Inuyasha grunted and glared across at his opponent. All three classes-beginner, intermediate, and advanced-were outside near the pond in the back of Houshi Shrine. Inuyasha and Kouga were to be demonstrating a martial arts match to the beginners' class.

"I don't know who I should root for," Rin, who was sitting near Kouga's end, said thoughtfully out loud. "My teacher or my uncle…"

"You'd better root for me, Rin!" Inuyasha shouted to her.

Kouga waved him off, "Yeah, root for him. He needs as much rooting as he can get."

"Shut the hell up," Inuyasha spat.

"Inuyasha, don't forget that there're kids here," Kagome, who was sitting near Inuyasha's end, shook her head. "Watch your language."

"You act like you're his mother," Kikyo, who sat a yard away from Kagome, remarked snidely. Kagome held her temper.

'You'll just waste your breath,' Kagome told herself.

"Alright!" Miroku announced, silencing everyone's chatter. "It's the time we've all been waiting for! Today, we have a special treat for everyone, especially for the beginners' class. You can think of it as a welcoming present from Houshi Shrine."

Kagome and Sango clapped, Kikyo clapping with them unenthusiastically.

"Today's match is Kouga, our new beginners' class instructor, against Inuyasha, our intermediate class instructor," Miroku said, taking place on the side of the match grounds, in between Inuyasha and Kouga. "There will be one round with no time limit."

'Now's the time to impress Kagome,' Kouga said to himself inside his head.

'I'll wipe that smug smile off your face,' Inuyasha thought, staring across at Kouga and cracking his knuckles.

"BEGIN!" Miroku exclaimed.

Inuyasha and Kouga quickly bowed at each other and then dashed forward.

"Ready to lose this match, idiot?" Kouga grinned, an arm already held back for a punch. A moment later, when the both of them were two feet away from each other, Inuyasha felt Kouga's fist graze against his cheek as fast as a bullet.

"I don't _think_ so!" Inuyasha scowled. "And who are you calling idiot, idiot!"

He scored a straight punch at Kouga's face.

Kouga staggered back a few feet, "You're a _bastard_."

"I sure am, huh?" Inuyasha smirked. Kouga's leg shot out like a whip a second later…only to be surprised when Inuyasha caught hold of his foot in midair while still holding ground.

"I should've probably told you this earlier…" Inuyasha said in a low and suddenly serious voice. "…but when it comes to kicks, I'm an expert."

Then, still holding Kouga's foot, which made Kouga's leg trapped in an outstretched pose, Inuyasha boosted himself up and blasted a mighty roundhouse kick at Kouga's head, letting go of Kouga's foot abruptly after. Everyone watched as Kouga soared yards away from where he was before. When he stood up again, he did it with painful look on his face.

"You're an expert when it comes to kicks, huh?" Kouga laughed bitterly. He charged at Inuyasha. "Well, guess what? _So am I!_"

Kouga did a quick flip and then landed into a handstand, his back facing Inuyasha. Inuyasha found his neck locked between Kouga's feet a moment after.

"Ready for some pain?" Kouga asked. And then he rapidly brought his feet down to the ground, along with Inuyasha, who was sent flying to the other side of where Kouga was positioned.

Inuyasha hit the grassy ground hard.

"Oh, Kami,' Kagome watched in terror from the sidelines. 'That was a serious move…is he hurt badly?'

Meanwhile, Kouga stood up, glanced in Kagome's direction and was pleased to see that she was into the match.

Then again, _everyone_ in the audience was into the match.

Inuyasha slowly stood up again. From the way he moved, everyone could tell that he was sore all over.

"You know what?" Inuyasha gritted through his teeth. "I hated you before. _Now I really hate you!_"

"The feeling's mutual," Kouga scowled.

"Go, Kouga!" Ayame cheered. Beside her, Rin and Shippou were still having a hard time of choosing who to root for.

"Go, Inuyasha-sensei!" Kikyo shrieked in a shrilly voice. "You can do it!"

"I can't tell if this is a typical boy fight or a martial arts match," Sango whispered to Kagome. Kagome nodded grimly. From the looks of it, Inuyasha and Kouga would each be able to do only one more big attack to each other before all their energy would be drained.

"Humph, I saved the best for last," Inuyasha unexpectedly grinned. "Do you have anything left up _your_ sleeve, idiot?"

"We'll see, won't we?" Kouga shot back. He went into a defensive stance.

'Looks like he doesn't have any special attacks left that he can do with the little energy that he has left,' Inuyasha observed with his mind. 'I, on the other hand, have enough energy to do one last attack.'

His train of thought was broken when Kouga dropped his defensive stance and bolted forward.

Inuyasha took a glimpse at Kagome and then shifted his eyes back to Kouga.

'This attack is payback for him hitting on Kagome today,' Inuyasha thought. He grounded his feet in the grass and bent over backwards so his hands were touching the ground. As he went into a handstand like Kouga had done mere minutes before, Inuyasha saw that Kouga was now only a few feet away from him.

"Let's see how much you like my 360-degree kick!" Inuyasha shouted. He released his right hand from the ground, roughly balancing his upside down body on his left.

Now only a yard away from his opponent, Kouga's eyes widened as Inuyasha swung the rest of his body forward to complete the flip he had started. However, Inuyasha's right leg still moved forward, his right foot swiftly making contact with Kouga's chest. The enormous impact blew all the air out of Kouga as he fell onto the grass.

Shaking from both pain and rage, Kouga pushed himself into a slouched standing position. He let out a roar.

"_If you think I'm going to lose to a no good bastard like you, think again_!" he yelled. Then, before Inuyasha could do anything, he performed a large flip, ending in a handstand a little away from Inuyasha.

And then he whirled his legs around and around.

'What the-Kami!" Inuyasha gritted, stepping several steps back. Kouga's legs were a blur to him. Heck, they were almost as fast as a helicopter's propeller. How would he be able to get past an attack like _that_?

Just then, an idea popped into his head. Inuyasha returned to a fighting stance.

'It's a risky move,' he thought. 'But, it just might work.'

He ran forward, feeling the last of his adrenaline coursing through him. Kouga continued spinning his legs.

When he was in range with Kouga, Inuyasha launched a high kick into Kouga's stomach…just as Kouga's foot made direct contact with Inuyasha's head. The collision of the attacks caused both males to fly back yards away from each other onto the grass.

Neither of them stood up.

"Round over! Tie!" Miroku called out.

"Yashie!" Kikyo immediately cried out, running over to Inuyasha.

As Sango shook her head, Kagome held a hand over her mouth, "Who knew that a match with just _kicking_ attacks can be so extreme?"

"Well," Sango shrugged. "Kicks are usually more effective than punches anyway. And besides, the moves you saw in this match seemed extreme because they were advanced moves."

Kagome nodded. By now, Inuyasha had sat up. He was desperately trying to push Kikyo away from him. Meanwhile, Ayame was trying to help Kouga up, but he wouldn't have it. Rin and Shippou were staring wide-eyed at the match grounds, as if the match still hadn't ended yet.

"Looks like Inuyasha and Kouga are equally strong," Miroku said when he came over to Kagome and Sango. "For some reason, it's no surprise to me."

"The fact that they're equal is going to lead to more fighting between them," Sango remarked.

"Which means we're going to have to put up with them even more," Kagome concluded.

Miroku, Sango, and Kagome looked at each other and all three of them sighed in unison, "Great."

A/N: Heehee, I love French (even if I don't know how to speak it) and the thought of Kouga speaking French was quite amusing so I added that idea to the story. Well, another couple has been revealed: Kouga/Ayame. How will their relationship turn out? **:D**

Once again, I apologize for the very long update. I'm so busy with school these days; I almost drowned in schoolwork twice already. **X.X **Anyways, thank you so much to everyone who's been patient with me. I'll keep you all informed of my next update in my profile.

Please review!


	10. The Kiss

**Shrine of Love**

A/N: Sorry for the long update…but I have to say, it was 4 times quicker than my last update, yes? Anyhow, enjoy the chapter! **:D** I'm sure all you fluff lovers will particularly like this one.

Chapter 10: The Kiss

It was Tuesday.

Kagome restlessly sat in her seat in drama class. Right now, the whole class was sitting in the school auditorium, listening to Ms. Kaede talk onstage.

"The first thing I suggest you all to do is to get over stage fright," Ms. Kaede said. "Once you do, everything will be much easier for you. Trust me."

She clapped her hands twice.

"Alright," Ms. Kaede cleared her voice. "May I please have Mr. Takahashi and Ms. Higurashi up on stage, please?"

Sango gave Kagome a reassuring pat on the back. Kagome stiffly got out of her chair and headed for the stairs that led to the stage. She met up with Inuyasha as she climbed the stairs.

'His expression is so blank,' Kagome noticed when she glimpsed at him. The two of them reached Ms. Kaede.

"Alright you two," Ms. Kaede said at a normal tone. "You both know your lines, as I've seen over the past few weeks. Now, I want to see how well you know your _actions_ in the play…"

Kagome swallowed.

"…starting with the kissing scene," Ms. Kaede said and then called on Kouga when he raised his hand.

"Ms. Kaede, I feel that kissing scenes don't need practicing on," he protested. "I mean, all they have to do is _kiss_. It's not like they're going to be sword-fighting or dancing."

"Well," Ms. Kaede answered. "Believe it or not Kouga, kissing scenes usually need as much practice as any other scenes. You have no idea how many people there are that are unwilling to go along with kissing scenes in plays…like the two seniors who are playing Romeo and Juliet. After all this time, they're still refusing to practice the kissing scene."

"If you want, Ms. Kaede, I'd be more than happy to play as Romeo for that one scene if the guy doesn't want to kiss the girl," Miroku volunteered from the crowd.

Sango rolled her eyes.

Ms. Kaede coughed, "Well, thank you for the offer, Miroku, but Romeo and Juliet is for the seniors…and seniors only."

She turned her attention back to Kouga, "Where was I? Oh, yes. Kissing scenes. Kissing scenes have significance in romance stories such as this one and we have to get scenes like this particularly right. We have to be able to make the audience _feel_ the emotions of the actor and actress. If the kisses aren't performed right, we have to practice them again and again until it is."

The last statement caught Kagome's attention.

'_What?_' she gaped.

"Ms. Kaede, we might be practicing the kissing scene more than once?" she asked, feeling hysterical.

"If Mr. Takahashi doesn't perform the scene right," Ms. Kaede gave a nod.

"Wait, so Kagome has to suffer if that idiot messes up on the scene?" Kouga demanded. "That's not right!"

"Kouga, it's nice that you have your opinions, but it's not nice if you go too far when you express them," Ms. Kaede said seriously. "Please sit down and remain silent so we can get this over with. Now, since we don't have the props we need yet, you'll have to lie on a low table with a pillow under your head for now, Kagome."

Kagome grimly walked over to the table that stood in the center of the stage.

"Inuyasha, you kneel beside her behind the table so your back isn't facing the audience."

Inuyasha followed his given orders. When he and Kagome were in place, Ms. Kaede looked down at a script she held in her hands.

"Alright," she said. "In this scene, the narrator does most of the talking. So you two don't have to do much speaking. I'll fill in as the narrator today, so listen carefully to the lines and do what you're supposed to do at the right time. Got it?"

"Yes," Inuyasha and Kagome replied together.

"And Inuyasha," Ms. Kaede added a moment later. "Keep in mind that there's a contest of which school play is the best. Remember how I told you all that the winning play gets a prize?"

Miroku stood up from his seat and called out, "So you better not mess this up, buddy! THIS CLASS WANTS THE PRIZE!"

Several murmurs of agreement were heard. Kouga, however, had a scowl on his face.

"Everyone here is unbelievable!" he said angrily. "All you care about is winning the play! No one cares about how _Kagome_ feels about the kissing scene! What if she doesn't _want_ to be kissed?"

"And what if _Inuyasha_ doesn't want to kiss her!" Kikyo yelled from the crowd.

"It's just a play, Kouga…Kikyo," Ms. Kaede sighed. "If we don't practice, we won't get this scene right, and if we don't get this scene right, we might not get to finish practicing the whole play in time for the festival at the end of the year…which means the class won't be able to win the prize for best play."

Lots of complains arose from the class. Some people turned in their seats and glared at the two protestors.

"Now, we're going to get started," Ms. Kaede said firmly. "Enough time has been wasted already. First, I'll read a little of the narration from the previous scene before reading the lines in the kissing scene so you'll both have some time to adjust to the play's atmosphere."

Ms. Kaede opening up the script she held, "And Inuyasha? When you kiss Kagome, it has to last three seconds."

Kagome's breath caught in her throat. Three seconds? That was way too long for her.

"As you know, we're having a feudal era setting, so instead of having witches and fairies, we'll be having priestesses. Now, let's begin," Ms. Kaede cleared her voice. "…the brave prince fought the evil priestess with all his strength. At last, he killed her with his mighty sword that the three good priestesses had given him…"

Kagome's heart thudded harder than ever inside her chest. She was shaking, but had no idea if it was noticeable since her eyes were closed at the moment. She clasped her hands tighter as she rested them on top of her stomach.

"…Dashing through the castle, the prince found the dark room where the princess slept…"

Kagome stopped shaking when Inuyasha suddenly laid a hand on top of hers.

"Don't worry, I'll be gentle," she heard him say softly to her with a reassuring voice.

"…Then, kneeling beside her, the prince kissed the beautiful princess."

And then Inuyasha did it. Kagome's breath was taken away when he leaned down and pressed his mouth against hers, his hand tightening on hers. It was a gentle kiss, like he'd promised. It was the longest 3 seconds she had ever experienced…yet, she didn't want it to end. All too soon than she wanted him to, Inuyasha pulled away.

Kagome opened her eyes and directed her view toward the crowd, suddenly wanting to avoid eye contact with Inuyasha. Everyone was quiet. Some people even had their mouths hanging open, as if they couldn't believe that Inuyasha had actually gone and kissed her.

"That was beautiful," Ms. Kaede smiled at the both of them. "It could use a little more work, but I think you two have this scene pretty much down."

* * *

Thwonk.

Kagome strung another arrow and aimed at the target a distance away from her.

It was club time, which Kagome was extremely grateful for. She'd be able to take her mind off what happened earlier that day. Kikyo had been so outraged with what happened that she ignored and avoided Kagome for the rest of the day.

'I can't…get what happened in drama class out of my head,' she thought solemnly. She let go of the arrow. It whizzed in the air and struck the edge of the target. Kagome sighed and brushed a fingertip against her lips.

"Hey."

Kagome jumped and turned around. Inuyasha grinned back at her.

"Still thinking about drama class?" he chuckled.

Kagome gave him a 'humph' and turned her back on him.

Inuyasha's tone turned serious, "Hey, don't do that. You've been avoiding me ever since drama class ended. What's up with that?"

"Why should I tell you?" she answered stubbornly. Inuyasha settled a hand on her shoulder and forced her to look his way.

"You know," he said, bringing his face dangerously close to hers. "I could've messed the scene up countless times…then we'd have to do kiss after kiss until I got it 'right'."

Kagome reddened at the thought.

"But I'm not _that_ mean," Inuyasha laughed, letting go of her shoulder. "You've already suffered enough from my flirting."

"You can say that again," Kagome grumbled.

"Don't think about it too much. It's only for a play."

He looked off in the distance and then turned back to Kagome, "I have to go. The katana club let everyone have a break for a few minutes so that's why I'm here. I'll see you after school, Kag."

As he ran off, Kagome realized he'd shortened her name by two syllables.

"It's Ka_GOME_!" she yelled after him.

* * *

Track club was easy, but exhausting. Kouga exhaled deeply and wiped an arm across his forehead. What was his next club? Oh, yes. He was going to help Miroku out in the martial arts club.

As he headed to the locker rooms, he noticed a small crowd at the nearby gym. He raised an eyebrow and joined the small group of students, staring up ahead in curiosity and wondering what was going on.

The first thing he noticed was a familiar red-haired girl on a large mat in the center of the room. She was dressed in a gymnastics uniform.

"This is the gymnastics club," Kouga realized. He heard a whistle blow. Ayame, who held nothing but a stick with an attached seven-foot-long ribbon, moved into action. Soft music flowed from speakers as Ayame spun to different areas of the mat, twirling her ribbon around her. At the end of the routine, she thrust her ribbon high towards the ceiling and jumped up to perform a double flip in the air. When Ayame landed on the ground again, she held up an arm to catch her falling ribbon. And then, after one last twirl, Ayame bowed.

Everyone erupted into applause, even Kouga. As the crowd parted to get ready for their second club, Kouga went up to Ayame.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Kouga," she blinked, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I just happened to stop by. That was a great routine you just did."

Ayame's face turned as red as her hair.

"You…saw me?" she asked slowly.

"Sure did. You looked great," Kouga laughed. "Don't be embarrassed. And your gymnastics will help you a lot in martial arts training."

Ayame looked down at the ground, still blushing, "Well, I have to get ready for my next club."

"Now that you mention it, so do I."

"Yeah, I want to be the best student I can in martial arts, so that's why I chose the martial arts club as my second club."

Now it was Kouga's turn to blink in surprise.

"You're in the martial arts club?" he asked in astonishment. "What a coincidence. So am I."

Ayame traced an invisible square on the floor and shyly looked up at him, "I guess…it's just something we have in common."

* * *

:o:O:o:O:o: After School :o:O:o:O:o:

Sango impatiently waited for her instructor to show up.

"Dang it, Miroku's taking forever," she grunted. In the dojo room next door, she heard Inuyasha instructing Kagome and Kikyo. In the other far end, the room for the beginner's class was empty because it was Tuesday…and Kouga didn't work Tuesdays.

The sound of the door sliding open broke her train of thought. Sango turned toward the doorway and spotted Miroku, who gave her a smile.

"Sorry I'm late," he said.

Sango grumbled, "Mm hm."

Miroku scratched his head. He was still leaving the door open.

Sango, suddenly feeling suspicious, asked, "Are you going to close that?"

Miroku shook his head.

"We're going out," he said.

Sango wrinkled her nose, "You mean _on a date_?"

"Well, no. But I wouldn't mind if you really _do_ want to go out on a date with me," Miroku answered innocently. The look Sango gave him next told him her answer to his last statement.

"Anyways," Miroku cleared his voice. "We're going to practice handling staffs…"

Sango's eyes brightened up.

"…over water. So we'll be training over the pond today," Miroku continued.

"_Over_ the pond?"

* * *

"So that's what he meant," Sango said to herself thoughtfully. She tightened her grip over the wooden staff that she held in her hands. She and Miroku were both standing on poles that had been specially fastened to the ground underneath the pond for training. In between them, there was a taut rope that was only an inch wide-definitely not enough for good and steady footing.

"Today's objective is to be able to knock your opponent into the water without falling in yourself," Miroku instructed.

"Yeah, yeah," Sango said impatiently. "Can we start?"

"Don't you want to know the origin of this art?"

"_No_. So can we _please_ start?"

"Okay, okay."

Miroku went into an offensive stance. Sango followed suit.

'Get ready to get wet, buddy,' Sango thought with a sly smile. She stepped forward onto the rope. Her first step was wobbly.

The rope wasn't as taut as she'd thought it was.

Sango balanced herself and took another step forward. It was wobbly too. She looked up and saw Miroku doing the same, only, he'd dropped his offensive stance and held his staff horizontally out in front of him.

'I get it now,' she realized. 'He's using his staff to balance himself.'

Sango held her staff out in front of her too. Miroku grinned.

"You catch on quickly," he commended. Sango pushed back a blush. She took two more quick steps forward and jabbed the end of her staff toward Miroku's feet.

Only to have him jump from the rope and onto the end of her staff.

'Shoot,' Sango cursed. She took a deep breath and used all her energy to thrust the staff upward. Miroku easily jumped off before the attack affected him. As Miroku landed on the rope again, Sango saw that he was still grinning.

"You'll be passing advanced class soon," Miroku stated. "But there are still a few things for you to learn."

He held his staff over his head, swirling it around in the air. Then, he slammed it down at her. Sango yelped and held out her own staff to block the attack. The impact made her stagger on the rope.

Quickly maintaining balance again, Sango jabbed her staff hard into Miroku's chest while he was still within distance.

"Umph," he choked out. Sango used that moment to her advantage. She whirled her staff at Miroku's feet. At that same moment, Miroku surprised her by carrying out another attack over her head. They both made contact.

Sango shrieked as she and Miroku dropped from the rope and into the pond, water splashing all around them.

A moment later, the both of them broke towards the surface for air. As they stayed in the water, catching their breaths, Miroku turned to Sango and smiled.

"So…I'm guessing this was a draw."

* * *

It was Saturday.

Kagome sat up in bed and groaned as a headache overcame her. She plopped back down onto her pillow.

"Kagome? Kagome. It's time to wake up to go to Houshi Shrine," her mother said through her closed door.

"I can't go today," Kagome said back hoarsely. Mrs. Higurashi opened the door with a concerned look on her face.

"Is something the matter, dear?" she asked, walking over to Kagome. She laid a hand on her daughter's forehead and quickly drew back in surprise. "Kagome, you have a fever."

Great. Just great. A perfectly good Saturday ruined by a fever.

"You can stay home today," Mrs. Higurashi said, tucking Kagome under her blankets to keep her warm. "Just rest so you can get better enough to go to school on Monday."

Kagome nodded.

"I'll call Houshi Shrine and tell Miroku you can't make it," her mother continued. "I'm sure he'll be okay. Inuyasha is there to help him, yes?"

Kagome nodded again.

"Well," Mrs. Higurashi said thoughtfully. "I'll bring breakfast up to you. I don't want you getting out of bed today, got it?"

"Mm hm…"

As her mother left the room and shut the door behind her, Kagome closed her eyes. For some reason, she felt bummed. Could it be because of the fact that she wouldn't be able to see Inuyasha today? They were supposed to be cooking oden this Saturday too-her favorite.

Kagome's eyes opened halfway. Speaking of Inuyasha, she'd been thinking about him nonstop all week. Especially about the time when his mouth was on hers.

Inuyasha…had she truly fallen in love with him? A flirtatious jerk?

Kagome pulled her covers over her head, "Yeah, right."

* * *

"Kagome's sick?" Inuyasha asked. "Is she okay?"

"Just a fever," Miroku sighed, hanging up the phone he held. "That was her mom just now. Guess you'll be doing everything yourself today."

Inuyasha gravely nodded and then blinked, "Hey! What do you mean _I'll_ be doing everything! _You're_ helping me too! And if you don't, I'll beat the hell out of you until you do!"

Miroku held both his hands in the air, "Alright, alright. Jeez. I'll help."

He sighed again, utterly depressed, "Oh, Kagome. Why'd you have to leave me with horrible, terrible Inuyasha?"

He let out a cry of pain when Inuyasha punched him on the head.

* * *

Kagome threw the covers off from her face. It was already noon.

"Arg! It's so boring!" she said in exasperation. "I can't believe I actually _miss_ going to Houshi Shrine."

A knock sounded on her door. Mrs. Higurashi stepped in.

"Honey, it's Miroku," she said. "He wants to speak with you."

Kagome took the phone from her mother, who left the room to give her privacy.

"Hello?" Kagome said into the phone.

"Kagome?" Miroku's voice answered. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. Sick…but fine."

"Logically, that doesn't make sense…but okay. Anyways, I just wanted to call you and tell you that I hope you get better. What a bummer that you're not here when we're making oden for dinner."

Kagome laughed softly, "I know."

"Inuyasha's out shopping right now. Meanwhile, I'm stuck at the shrine doing laundry."

"Oh, quit the whining," Kagome rolled her eyes. "That's what Inuyasha has to go through every Saturday. You must be _really_ good friends with him if he'd agree to do your laundry _and_ do the shopping."

"I guess…" Miroku paused. "Well, I'll leave you to your rest. Get well soon, dear cousin."

"Thanks," Kagome said back, a hint of a smile on her mouth. "Oh yeah, before I forget, I have to tell you something."

"Which would be?"

"Split my share of the oden between you and Inuyasha, okay?"

Kagome heard Miroku laugh on the other end.

"Alright," he responded a moment later. "Take care."

Then, he hung up. Kagome turned off the phone and let out a huge breath. Then, she sniffed.

"My oden…"

* * *

Miroku held a spoonful of oden to his mouth and quickly brought it back down.

"Hot! Hot! Hot!" he exclaimed, his tongue slightly burned.

"That's why you _blow_ on it first, wise guy," Inuyasha said.

Miroku followed his friend's advice and after a few bites he remarked, "You know, the way you cook your oden is completely different from the way Kagome cooks it."

Inuyasha shrugged, "We have different cooking styles. _You_, on the other hand, don't know how to cook at all."

Miroku frowned, "Everyone has different talents. Cooking is just not one of mine."

"Yeah…_groping women_ is though."

Miroku twitched, "If you're going to keep being mean, I won't let you have your shared half of extra oden."

"I was the one who _made_ it in the first place!" Inuyasha snapped. "And what do you mean extra oden?"

"You made enough oden for one more person…which was supposed to be Kagome," Miroku said calmly. "But since she can't be here today, she said we could split her share between us."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, "She called?"

"No, I did," Miroku said proudly.

"When?"

"While you were out shopping."

Miroku yelped as Inuyasha brought a fist down onto his head.

"What was that for!" he complained.

"For calling her when I wasn't here!" Inuyasha shot back. "I wanted to tell her how mad I was at her for leaving me here with _you_!"

"Or was it because you couldn't spend the day with her?" Miroku asked slyly.

Inuyasha stared at him and then turned away, "Alright, that's it. No okonomiyaki for you next week."

"No!"

* * *

The day had zipped by fast. It was now evening.

Kagome laid in bed, her face facing the ceiling, "Mom should be coming up here to give me dinner soon…"

She sighed and then stopped when she heard footsteps coming toward her closed bedroom door. Then, she heard two voices talking. She strained her ears. One voice was her mother. And the other…

…was Inuyasha.

Kagome quickly closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. She did _not_ feel like dealing with his flirtatiousness at the moment. The door creaked open. Kagome heard her mother murmur something. A second later, she heard the door quietly close and the sound of footsteps going down the stairs.

She was about to open her eyes again, but stopped herself from doing so when she heard a rustle and a small thud on the bedside drawer next to her bed. Then, she heard a sigh.

And it sure wasn't her mother.

'Oh, Kami. I'm stuck all alone with Inuyasha in my room!' Kagome thought desperately and then immediately became still when she felt him stand beside her.

"I can't believe you left me to do all the chores, wench," she heard him tell her. Kagome's eyes almost flew open at the last word, but then remembered that she was pretending to be asleep.

She heard him take a deep breath and then slowly exhale.

A moment later, Kagome felt one of his smooth fingers trailing the side of her face and then stopping on her lips. Kagome felt him lean down, his breath tingling against her closed mouth.

But he didn't kiss her.

Kagome felt Inuyasha pull away and kiss her on her forehead instead.

"Bye, sleeping beauty," he whispered.

Kagome heard him walk out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. After she heard his footsteps fade away, she sat up in bed and looked at the bedside drawer beside her. On the table was a bag holding two small containers. Kagome picked up the top container and found her holding a to-go bowl of ice cream from Rin's Ice Cream. She settled it onto the drawer and picked up the second container. When she took off the cap, a delicious aroma filled the room.

"What…is this?" Kagome said curiously, looking down at the food in front of her. It was oden. She sat thoughtfully. "Inuyasha brought this bag of stuff here…so it was either him or Miroku that made this. And knowing Miroku, he'd never be able to cook something as good as this."

Kagome blinked, "So Inuyasha was the one who made this."

She glanced at the bag and spotted a plastic spoon. Kagome snatched the spoon up and looked back down at the container she held. As she stuck a spoonful of the oden into her mouth, she felt the warmth from it spread throughout her entire body.

Her eyes closed as she slowly chewed. It was delicious. Inuyasha cooked oden just as well as she did. Kagome stuck her spoon back into the container.

The oden was still warm from being just cooked. The amount of oden in the container was about half of a serving for one person. What she'd told Miroku earlier that day all swam back to her.

_Split my share of the oden between you and Inuyasha, okay?_

Kagome's eyes softened. Inuyasha had given his share to her.

As she finished the last spoonful, Kagome settled the empty container onto the bedside drawer and saw a small piece of paper that she hadn't noticed before sticking out from the bag. Kagome slipped it out and held it in front of her, reading the three words scribbled on there in Inuyasha's handwriting.

_Get well soon._

A/N: Isn't Inuyasha so sweet? **:D** I assure you, things are going to get so much more interesting from here. Next chapters, we're going to have another new character in the fray, a new shrine with martial arts classes offered (uh oh, Houshi Shrine's going to have competition), and…more fluff (this fic isn't called "Shrine of Love" for nothing, you know)! Woohoo! Plus, a bunch of other stuff that's too important to spoil for you all. **:P**

Please review!


	11. A New Shrine

**Shrine of Love**

A/N: Woo, am I on a roll! **:D** Thank you for your reviews, everyone!

Chapter 11: A New Shrine

"September went by really fast, didn't it?"

Inuyasha paused from his sketching to look down at Kagome, who sat on a branch beneath his and was eating an apple. Her eyes were on Miroku and Sango, who were both busy eating lunch on the grass and talking to each about who knew what.

"No, not really," he finally answered.

Kagome directed her view up towards him.

"So," she said and then hesitated before continuing. "How soon will it be until I move to advanced level?"

"Oh, believe me, it won't be anytime soon."

Kagome narrowed her eyes, "If you hold me behind on purpose, I swear I'm going to beat you to a bloody pulp."

Inuyasha waved her off, "As if that day will ever even come. You can't even win one match against me yet."

Kagome blinked and looked away when she realized that he was right. Inuyasha stopped sketching altogether when he noticed the sudden tension between them.

"Okay, I was lying," he sighed. "You'll be advancing by the time January arrives…well, that's my guess anyway."

He crossed his arms, "Geez, are you that eager to get out my class?"

"Maybe," Kagome said back stubbornly.

Inuyasha's mouth lifted into a sly smile, "You can't take my flirting anymore, can you, Kag?"

Kagome's faced reddened at his recent nickname for her. He'd been calling her that, regardless of how much she hated it and how embarrassing it was, ever since the day they'd practiced the kissing scene.

At least he only called her "Kag" when they were alone together.

"Y-yes," she stuttered. "I can't take your flirting."

Kagome heard her martial arts teacher remain silent for a long period of time. She looked up and was surprised to see that he wasn't sitting on his branch. When she looked back down, she nearly jumped out of her skin when Inuyasha appeared out of nowhere and jumped down onto the empty space beside her.

"Alright, I promise not to flirt with you anymore," he said, straddling the branch like a horse. Inuyasha held two fingertips against his mouth and then reached over to press them both against her mouth.

An indirect kiss.

"Liar," Kagome scoffed, blushing madly. "That was flirting right there!"

"No, that's just the seal on my promise," he laughed. "And I'm only promising to not flirt with you for the rest of _today_."

"Why not the rest of _the school year_!"

"Because it's so fun flirting with you."

"HEY!" a voice shouted from below. Inuyasha and Kagome looked down. Kouga glared back up at them.

"Get away from Kagome!" he ordered Inuyasha.

"Why should I?" Inuyasha asked with an annoyed tone. "She's not your property."

Kagome rolled her eyes as the two males began another of their long arguments and then shook her head, "Kami."

* * *

The walks to Houshi Shrine were now torture. Not only did Inuyasha have to deal with Kouga during school and while they taught the martial arts sessions in Houshi Shrine…he'd also have to deal with him during the walks there. Lucky for him, Ayame began walking with the group to Houshi Shrine everyday too…she preoccupied Kouga with questions for the majority of the walks.

"Damn bastard," Inuyasha grunted to himself. "He drives me insane."

Miroku suddenly nudged him and said, "Inuyasha, bring Kikyo and Kagome over to the advanced class today, would you?"

"Why?"

"Sango and I were talking about the Shikon no Tama today during lunch and she really wants to hear the detailed story…so I said I'd tell her the story during martial arts training today."

"And this deals with me _how_?"

"Well," Miroku paused. "You can bring Kagome and Kikyo over so they can listen to the story too…consider it as a break from teaching for you."

"Hm…alright then," Inuyasha said thoughtfully. Then, a moment later, he added. "You're trying to win Sango over, aren't you?"

"Hehe. You know me too well…"

* * *

"Alright," Kouga clapped his hands together twice. "Everyone in meditation position."

Shippou, Rin, and Ayame sat down in a cross-legged position on the floor and closed their eyes.

"Breathe in…and breathe out," the three of them heard Kouga instruct.

"Kouga, why do we have to do this?" Ayame heard Rin whine beside her. "The only thing we've been learning is _meditation_."

"Well," she heard Kouga reply. "You have to learn to do it right. Meditation helps your body relax so that you don't feel stiff during training. Besides, if you'd have waited longer, you would've found out that we'd be doing meditation for only five minutes today."

"Which will probably turn into an hour," Rin countered.

Ayame felt herself smile.

"And what, Ayame, are you smiling about?" Kouga said a minute later, sitting down in front of her. Ayame's eyes flew open.

"N-nothing," she stammered.

"You aren't rebelling against me like Rin is, are you?" he grinned.

"I'm not rebelling," Rin interrupted. "I'm just impatient that we've done nothing but-"

"-meditation," Kouga finished. "I know, I know."

He turned his attention back to Ayame.

"I just find Rin funny," Ayame said shyly, her eyes directed towards the floor. "I'm not rebelling."

"Hm," Kouga said, his voice amused. "Liar. You've been asking me questions about training everyday during the walk to Houshi Shrine."

Ayame's face turned as red as her hair.

"The only one who isn't rebelling against me is Shippou," Kouga laughed.

"You should see him at home," Rin coughed, Shippou reddening beside her. "He complains that we haven't done anything but meditation too."

Kouga stared at all three of his students.

"Alright," he sighed. "Everyone up. We'll start 'training' now."

Rin, Shippou, and Ayame stood up happily.

"Today, you'll be learning how to punch," Kouga stated shortly, walking back in forth in front of them. He halted to a stop in front of Ayame.

"Your sash is tied wrong," he said. Ayame blushed as Kouga reached over and retied it correctly.

"Thank you," she murmured.

Kouga gave her a smile and then commanded to everyone, "Form a fist with your hand."

He stooped down and rearranged Shippou's fingers, "Almost had it right, Shippou. That's good."

Kouga moved over to Rin…who had formed a perfect fist.

"Good work, Rin," he nodded at her. She beamed back. Kouga proceeded toward Ayame.

"Don't cover your thumb with your other fingers," Kouga said, rearranging all her fingers into the correct form. "That's the biggest mistake you can make. If you punch someone with a fist like that, you can count on having a broken thumb."

Ayame withdrew her hand from his, "Sorry."

"It's nothing to apologize about," Kouga answered with a serious voice, taking her hand again. "Now show me a correct fist."

Ayame hesitated before forming a fist again. Kouga smiled, "You learn fast."

He exhaled and rested his hands on his waist, "Alright, everyone part your feet by a foot or two."

They did so.

"Form both of your hands into fists and hold them at both sides of your waist, the backside of your hands facing toward the ground. Then, when I tell you to, turn your wrist as you send forth an arm. When you return your fist toward your waist, turn your wrist so that the backside of your hand faces the ground again, got it?" Kouga asked.

"Yes," all three of his students answered in unison.

"And to get your spirits fired up, you can all shout 'hai' when you launch a punch," Kouga continued. "Now, who wants to try punching first?"

"ME!" Rin exclaimed. She ran up to him and got into position. Kouga held out an open hand in front of her.

"Let's see how your right arm punches first," he said. "Now strike at my hand."

Rin shot her right arm forward, "HAI!"

Ayame and Shippou burst out laughing when Kouga yelped and clamped onto his wrist painfully.

"I'm sorry," Rin blinked. "Did I punch too hard?"

* * *

"The Shikon no Tama is a family heirloom that's been passed down from generation to generation in the Houshi family. It's a precious jewel that is believed to grant its bearer one wish."

"Yeah, and pigs can fly," Kikyo snorted, earning a deadly glare from Kagome.

"Why is our school named after the jewel then?" Sango asked curiously.

"Well," Miroku cleared his voice. "One of my ancestors was the founder of that school…and well, he had no idea what to name the school so he just named it after the Shikon no Tama."

He gave a small laugh.

Sango and Kagome rolled their eyes.

"Was all that a lie?" Sango asked suspiciously.

"It's not," Kagome told her. "Everything he said is true."

"Really? How do you know?"

"I'm related to him, remember?"

"Ahem," Miroku coughed. "Legends have it that the Shikon no Tama was created in the Feudal Era, so the jewel is worth more than you can imagine."

He pulled a box from behind him and took off its lid. There, sitting on top of a small cushion in the box, was a round and pink jewel.

"Behold, the Shikon no Tama," Miroku announced proudly.

"Wow, it looks like a pearl…except four times bigger," Sango said with awe, leaning over and examining it.

"It looks like a plain old marble," Kikyo remarked snidely and screeched when Kagome pinched her arm.

"Well, that's pretty much it about it," Miroku concluded, putting the lid back on the box. He stood up and walked out of the room. Sango and Kagome followed him, Kikyo trailing behind.

"We keep the jewel under a statue in the main shrine building," Miroku said, stopping in front of the door of the main shrine building itself. He slid the door open. A large statue of Buddha immediately came into view. Kagome looked down towards the floor and spotted Inuyasha dusting a cemented hole that was beside the statue.

"This is more cleaning than I wanted to do this week," Inuyasha grumbled to Miroku as he stood up.

"I'll pay you a little extra for this week," Miroku answered. He carefully settled the box that contained the Shikon no Tama into the cemented hole and then slid the statue of Buddha over it.

Then, he clasped his hands together and prayed, "May the Shikon no Tama never be disturbed by evil forces."

* * *

It was another school day.

Kagome sighed as the whole class waited for Mr. Nobunaga, their first period teacher.

Several minutes later, the classroom door opened, revealing Mr. Nobunaga and an unfamiliar male dressed in the school uniform.

"Sorry I'm late, class," Mr. Nobunaga rasped. "I had car trouble."

He straightened and smiled cheerfully, "Now, listen up. We have another new student. Everyone, say hi to Naraku Onigumo."

The class murmured a hello.

Mr. Nobunaga turned to Naraku, "Why don't you tell us a little about yourself?"

"I'm half Chinese and half Japanese," Naraku said. "And my family just opened up a shrine in town…Onigumo Shrine. We're offering martial arts classes there too."

Miroku became alert at the last statement Naraku had said.

"Ah, really?" Mr. Nobunaga blinked in surprise. "It so happens that the family of another student here has a shrine that offers martial arts classes too. Who was it? Oh, yes, Miroku Houshi. I'm sure you two could get together sometime and discuss a lot of things. Miroku, why don't you raise your hand?"

Miroku raised his hand solemnly. Naraku gave him a chilling smile.

Kagome shivered. There was something scary about him. His skin was a bit pale, his hair was raggedy and untamed, and his eyes were dark.

"I'm sure…that we will have plenty to talk about," Naraku said. "Plenty."

* * *

:o:O:o:O:o: Lunch :o:O:o:O:o:

"The new guy is trouble for Houshi Shrine," Miroku commented grimly. "It means that Houshi Shrine has a rival now."

"But he might be teaching a different type of martial arts," Sango pointed out. "There _are_ many types out there you know."

"Still…" Miroku sighed heavily. He turned to Inuyasha, who had decided to eat lunch on the grass today. "You're in deep thought, Inuyasha. What are you thinking about?"

"Onigumo…why does that name sound so familiar?" Inuyasha pondered, his eyes closed.

"Maybe he's dealt with your family company before?" Kagome suggested.

Inuyasha fell back onto the grass and stretched, "No. I don't think so. But I've heard that name somewhere before."

"He's already popular with some of the girls," Miroku remarked. "How come _I_ wasn't that popular when I transferred here?"

* * *

:o:O:o:O:o: After School :o:O:o:O:o:

Inuyasha was in the middle of instructing when Kikyo interrupted.

"Inuyasha-sensei," Kikyo suddenly said. "I have to tell you something."

Inuyasha sighed with irritation, "Go ahead, Kikyo."

"Well, I've decided…to start training at Onigumo Shrine, starting next week," Kikyo said hesitantly. "So today is going to be my last day here."

"Are you serious?" Kagome gaped. "You're leaving Houshi Shrine for Onigumo Shrine? You _traitor_!"

"It's my decision!" Kikyo snapped back sourly. "And I can't stand training with you!"

"Quiet, both of you," Inuyasha said loudly. "Kikyo, if that's what you want, then I have no right to stop you."

She threw herself at his feet.

"Oh, Inuyasha-sensei," she cried. "If only Higurashi weren't here. Then you would've been able to focus all your attention on me!"

Inuyasha's eye twitched, "Yeah…on you."

"And I'm ashamed to say," Kikyo sniffed. "That my love has moved on. I'm now in love with Naraku!"

She looked up and saw Kagome and Inuyasha staring at her.

"_What_?" she asked them.

* * *

"So I can start training here next week, right?" Kikyo asked, sitting on a chair as she filled out a form in the shrine office of Onigumo Shrine.

"Yes," Naraku answered briefly. "Have you trained in a shrine before?"

"Yes, at Houshi Shrine. I came here right after training there today."

Naraku grinned, "So you're leaving Houshi Shrine for Onigumo Shrine? I'm flattered."

"Well, yeah," Kikyo blushed. "I couldn't stand being there anymore. It was getting boring and today, Miroku started sprouting garbage about the 'precious' Shikon no Tama."

Naraku suddenly bent down and settled his fingers on her chin. Then, he tilted her head up so that they were eye-to-eye.

"He talked about the Shikon no Tama?" he asked.

"Yes," Kikyo said breathlessly.

Naraku's dark eyes flashed. He let go of her chin and left the room. When he returned, he held a teapot and cup. Naraku began pouring tea into the cup. Kikyo gave him a clueless look when he handed the cup to her. She settled her fingers around the small cup and took a sip.

"Now," Naraku said as he pulled a chair over and sat down across from her. "Tell me everything Miroku Houshi said to you about the Shikon no Tama……_everything_."

A/N: And the troubles finally begin. **:D** What will happen next?

Please review!


	12. His Gift to Her

**Shrine of Love**

A/N: Sorry for the long update everyone! But, believe me, this chapter was definitely worth the wait. **:D**

Chapter 12: His Gift to Her

It was another Saturday.

Kagome took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as she stared at herself in her bedroom mirror.

"Guess I'd better get going," she muttered, leaving her room. Once she reached the front doorway, she slipped her feet into comfortable sandals.

"I'm off to Houshi Shrine, Mom!" she called out.

"Alright honey!" Kagome heard her mother's voice yell from the kitchen. "Have a great day!"

Kagome smiled to herself and closed the door behind her.

* * *

Kagome kicked down the brakes on her bike and started the long hike up the stairs toward Houshi Shrine.

"I swear…" she panted when she was halfway toward the top. "Someday, we should have an escalator replace these stairs."

When she reached the top, she bent over to catch her breath. Then, she heard a low whistle. Kagome looked up and found Inuyasha standing in front of her.

"Someone looks nice today," he remarked, a hint of a smile on his face. "I don't think I've seen you wear a dress before."

"Well, you told me to wear one today," Kagome said, annoyed. She brushed her hair from her eyes.

"Ah, yes," Inuyasha remembered. "For the dance lessons. You know, I still can't believe you don't know how to dance. No wonder why you seemed nervous when Ms. Kaede mentioned dancing in the play a few weeks ago."

"And what of it?" Kagome snapped. Kami. He was getting on her nerves.

Ms. Kaede had recently told the both of them that they would start practicing the dancing scenes soon, and that if any of them didn't know how to dance, they should take basic dance lessons. That very same day, Inuyasha had asked Kagome if she didn't know how to dance. He had hit it right on the nail.

"Wow, someone sure is grouchy today…and it isn't me," Inuyasha laughed, bringing Kagome back into the present situation. "Is it just me, or do you always wake up on the wrong side of the bed on Saturdays?"

Kagome turned away, "Humph."

"Anyway. I wasn't lying before. You really do look nice, Kag. Summer dresses suit you."

Kagome's eyes softened when she heard the sincerity in his voice.

"Thank you," she mumbled. Inuyasha merely smiled at her before changing the subject.

"Well, let's start shopping," he said. "We're eating ramen today so there isn't that much cooking to do. I'll race you down the steps."

Inuyasha began sprinting down the stairs two steps at a time.

Kagome sighed with exasperation, "Oh, Kami, not the stairs again."

* * *

"So exactly what kind of dancing are you going to teach?" Kagome asked curiously as she and Inuyasha walked up and down aisles in the supermarket.

"Waltz," he answered. "But if you ask me, I'd rather teach the salsa."

The two stopped in front of the ramen shelves.

"The salsa? Why is that?" Kagome questioned.

"Well," Inuyasha said, a sly look on his face. "In the salsa…it can get really intimate between the two dancers."

Kagome dropped the shopping basket she held. Inuyasha flinched when it clattered onto the floor.

"You pervert!" Kagome exclaimed, her face bright red. "You really _are_ changing into Miroku!"

"Except that I don't grope women," Inuyasha pointed out, picking up the basket and placing three ramen cups inside it. "Keep your voice down, would you, Kag? We're inside a supermarket."

"How can you expect me not to get mad from your over-the-top flirting," Kagome growled angrily as they proceeded toward the cash registers. "You _jerk_."

Inuyasha shook his head, "You really _are_ grouchy on Saturdays."

Kagome muttered words underneath her breath.

The two remained quiet as they paid for the ramen. Once they exited the supermarket, Inuyasha took Kagome's hand in his.

"Let's go to Rin's. From what I've seen, ice cream always makes you cheer up," he said, leading her to Rin's Ice Cream.

As they waited in line, Kagome stared down at his hand that was wrapped firmly around hers.

'Inuyasha…you're really trying to cheer me up, aren't you?' she thought guiltily, watching him as he placed an order at the counter. Kagome let Inuyasha lead her to a corner table after he paid for their ice cream.

The two said nothing to each other as they sat across from one another, waiting for their order to arrive.

"Hm, Miroku's parents are going to come back home soon," Inuyasha said, breaking the silence. "In the beginning of November, if I'm correct."

Kagome nodded.

Inuyasha observed her quietly before asking, "Are you still mad at me?"

Kagome stared down at her lap for a while before slowly shaking her head, "No."

"Wow. And we didn't even start eating the ice cream yet," Inuyasha grinned. Rin arrived with their order briefly afterward.

"Enjoy!" she chirped and skipped off.

Inuyasha picked up the two spoons that were given with the order and held one out to Kagome.

"Let's dig in," he said.

Kagome took the spoon and smiled, "Let's."

* * *

"How come I have to do the laundry?" Miroku complained.

"Because we did the shopping," Inuyasha answered, picking up a small boombox from the floor. "Kami, it'll just be for today, Miroku. I have to give Kagome dance lessons."

Miroku sighed in resignation, "Fine."

"If you have trouble with something, just come by and tell me."

"Alright," Miroku said grumpily.

After giving his best friend a pat on the shoulder, Inuyasha headed to the shrine dojo.

* * *

"It's about time, _sensei_," Kagome said as Inuyasha walked through the door and set the boombox down on the floor.

"Sorry," he said, kneeling down and inserting a CD inside the boombox. "I had to deal with Miroku."

A minute later, a slow waltz song began playing. Inuyasha stood up and dusted himself off. Kagome gulped when he faced her.

"Give me your hands," he commanded.

Kagome timidly did so. Inuyasha grasped her hands firmly with his.

"Don't worry. This'll be fun," he laughed. He looked down at their feet. "Alright. Let's begin."

* * *

'Oh my gosh, I'm actually having fun,' Kagome thought as she stepped forward, backward, around and around.

Inuyasha had been teaching her how to dance for an hour already. During that single hour, she had stepped on his feet more than ten times. It wasn't until a few minutes ago that she'd started to get a hang of waltzing.

"You're doing great, keep it up," Inuyasha commented.

Keeping her eyes down toward the floor, she quietly asked, "Hey, Inuyasha, how'd you learn how to dance like this?"

"Since my family owns a company, we have to go to parties every year. And at every party I go to, there's-"

"Dancing," Kagome finished. She was beginning to feel lightheaded.

"Hey," Inuyasha stopped dancing, concern in his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just feel a little dizzy."

"Of course you are," Inuyasha said, letting go of her hands and walking over to the boombox to replay the song. "We haven't been dancing the right way."

Kagome blinked, "We haven't?"

"No," Inuyasha stated, walking back to her.

Kagome's breath caught in her throat when he slipped his right arm around her waist and drew her close.

"Give me your right hand," he said against her ear. When she did, he intertwined his fingers with hers. "Put your left hand on my shoulder."

Kagome hesitantly did so.

"Good. Now just flow with the music and don't look down toward the floor."

"But what if I step on your feet?" Kagome asked, uncertain.

"Don't worry about it," Inuyasha assured her.

And then, they began to dance. Kagome stared into Inuyasha's violet eyes, and found herself lost in them as they both twirled around the room. His arm was secure around her waist the entire time, his fingers firm around hers in a warm hold.

Half an hour later, Miroku came by and was about to announce that it was almost dinner time, "Hey-"

He closed his mouth shut when he saw his best friend and cousin dancing, both of them lost in their own world.

Miroku smiled and then quietly walked away.

* * *

"OW! Hot! Hot! HOT!"

Kagome shook her head as she looked pitifully at her cousin. Right after Inuyasha had poured boiling water into Miroku's ramen cup, Miroku had immediately taken the cap off and began eating, only to be rewarded with a burnt tongue.

"It's so wonderful to have a lecherous idiot as a best friend," Inuyasha remarked sarcastically, watching Miroku gulp down a glass full of water. Miroku wiped his mouth with his sleeve and frowned.

"You two are scheming against me, aren't you?" he demanded, glaring at his cousin and best friend. "Every Saturday, you two always try to make a fool out of me!"

"You're already a fool," Kagome replied, bored. She took the cap off another ramen cup, sinking a pair of chopsticks inside and putting some ramen noodles into her mouth.

"I second on that," Inuyasha stated, settling beside her and eating from his own ramen cup.

"See what I mean?" Miroku pointed out. "You two just ganged up on me right now!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, "We are not scheming against you, Miroku. There's better stuff for Kagome and me to do…like going on dates."

Kagome choked on her ramen.

"Say what?" she turned, glaring daggers at Inuyasha.

"Calm down. I was only joking," Inuyasha chuckled. "Except, going on dates with you.really _would_ be better than planning schemes against Miroku."

"Doing chores would be better than planning schemes against Miroku _and_ going on dates with you!" Kagome retorted. Inuyasha slung an arm around her neck and drew her close.

"You know that's not true, Kag," he whispered, his mouth against her ear. Kagome's face flushed. When she felt his mouth move toward her neck, her one weak spot, she pushed herself away.

"Seriously," Miroku said, making the both of them jump. They'd forgotten he was there for a brief moment. "You two should hook up. You're already acting lovey-dovey with each other."

"We are not!" Kagome protested. "Inuyasha's just a flirtatious jerk!"

"At least I'm not a womanizer," Inuyasha said.

"Don't bring me into your lover quarrels," Miroku said, throwing his hands up.

"Inuyasha and I are not lovers!" Kagome snapped.

"It sure doesn't seem that way. You two have so much in common too. Kagome, did you know that when Inuyasha was little, his parents-"

"It's getting late," Inuyasha cut in before Miroku could finish his sentence. Kagome blinked as she looked at Inuyasha curiously. His tone had completely changed. He had switched from being a flirtatious guy to a serious one. "I'll do the dishes real quick and take Kagome home."

Kagome gave Miroku a questioning look after Inuyasha walked out of the room, "What was that all about?"

Miroku wore a grim expression, "I should've known not to talk about his parents."

"Why? What's wrong with talking about his parents?"

"You'll see someday soon," Miroku said with a solemn smile on his face. "In fact, I'm pretty sure it'll be Inuyasha himself who's going tell you. He's beginning to open up to you as much as he opens up to me…but anyway, try avoiding the subject of his parents for now."

"Alright."

* * *

"You better not forget the basic steps that I taught you today," Inuyasha told Kagome as they both walked up the steps of Higurashi Shrine.

Kagome rolled her eyes in annoyance, "Yes, sensei. I won't forget the basic dance steps that you taught me today."

Inuyasha laughed.

"I know you won't forget," he said, his eyes directed toward the top of the stairs. "But be sure to practice the steps every once in awhile, okay?"

"Mm hm."

The two of them climbed the last step and halted to a stop at the front door.

"Well, I guess I'll see you on Monday," Inuyasha said.

"Yeah, you too," Kagome answered.

Inuyasha bent down to kiss her on the cheek. When he pulled away, a strange feeling overcame her.

'What was that just now?' Kagome asked herself.

"Bye, Kag," Inuyasha winked before turning and heading back down the shrine steps.

Kagome watched him, still trying to figure out why that weird feeling popped up in her when he leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. It was when Inuyasha had turned the street corner on his motorcycle and disappeared from view that she figured out the answer for the earlier appearance of the indescribable feeling.

She had wanted him to kiss her on the mouth.

* * *

Just like September, October was passing by fast. It was near the end of the month, and Kagome's birthday had arrived before she even realized it.

Kagome had luckily been able to hide the fact that it was her birthday from Inuyasha and Sango. In addition, Miroku had typically forgotten about her birthday. He was too busy trying to win over Sango's heart. However, regardless if anyone knew if it was her birthday or not, Kagome was happy.

'I'm 17!' she thought joyfully.

The school day passed by peacefully and the four friends headed to Houshi Shrine right after school ended.

"Thank Kami it's a Thursday," Inuyasha mumbled out loud. "I don't have to deal with the bastard, Kouga."

"But you still have to deal with him everyday at school," Miroku pointed out.

"Don't remind me."

Miroku gave a nervous laugh and turned his attention to Kagome and Sango. He noticed that Kagome was humming softly to herself.

"You're a little more cheerful than usual today, Kagome," Miroku remarked.

His cousin nodded with a smile on her face.

"That's because I turned 17 today," Kagome replied.

She blinked when her three friends halted to a stop.

"Oh. Kami. I forgot it was your birthday today! What kind of cousin am I?" Miroku said in despair, slapping a palm hard against his forehead.

"It's your birthday today, Kagome?" Sango asked, completely taken by surprise. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Well…because I was afraid you and Inuyasha would try to milk me during lunch at school today," Kagome said back slowly.

"What? That's cruel! I would never do such a thing to you," Sango argued.

"Yeah. Only _I_ would do such a thing to you," Inuyasha grinned. He yelped when Kagome gave him a hard punch in the arm. "Ow! I was just joking!"

"Really, I can't believe you didn't tell us," Sango continued, a frown on her face. "I would've gotten you something, Kagome."

"I'm telling you, it's _okay_," her best friend said firmly. "I don't want anything. Wishing me a happy birthday is enough."

"I, however, insist to grant one of your wishes," Miroku interrupted. "Because I am, after all, related to you, Kagome. So, what is a wish of yours, my beautiful cousin?"

Kagome rolled her eyes, "How about you not being a lecherous womanizer anymore?"

After hearing that, Miroku remained silent for a long time.

Sango let out a snort, "I don't think that's possible, Kagome."

* * *

It was training time.

Kagome sat against the wall in one of the rooms of the shrine dojo, waiting impatiently for Inuyasha to come. He'd told her that they'd do something special today since it was her birthday. However, half an hour had already passed with her doing absolutely nothing.

"What the hell is he doing?" Kagome grumbled.

It felt weird to be taking martial arts lessons alone with Inuyasha again, like she had been doing in the beginning of the martial arts session in the beginning of the school year. She had to admit, even though it had been constantly annoying, she sort of missed Kikyo's whining. At least she had someone to pick on when she was here. Now that Kikyo was gone, the martial arts class seemed…well, empty.

Kagome sighed and stood up. Before she could lean over and stretch her stiff body, the door slammed open, revealing her martial arts instructor.

"Sorry I'm late," Inuyasha apologized.

"You'd better be," Kagome huffed angrily. "I don't attend these classes just to _sit on the floor_, you know."

"Geez, now you're starting to be grouchy on the weekdays too?"

"I'm telling you. It's always because of _you_!"

"Calm down, would you? Anger isn't good for a person. And besides, you should be happy today since it's your birthday."

Kagome glared at him and then noticed that he was still standing outside the door, "Aren't you going to come in so we can start training?"

Inuyasha shook his head and smiled, "Nope. Training is taking place near the pond today……we're going to have some fun."

* * *

"The objective of today's training," Inuyasha said. "Is to practice dodging and your arm thrust."

Kagome coughed, "By water balloons."

"Yes, by water balloons," Inuyasha repeated. In between the both of them was a tub of water balloons of all different colors. Inuyasha picked five of them up and gave them to Kagome. "Okay. You'll have to dodge all the water balloons I throw at you and you'll get to practice your arm thrust by throwing the water balloons I gave you at me. Any questions?"

"Yes. You call this fun?"

Inuyasha bent down to pick up another water balloon…and then whirled it hard at Kagome, mildly soaking her left shoulder.

"Yes, I do call this fun," he grinned.

Kagome rolled up one of her sleeves, "Oh, you're _on_."

* * *

"What are those two up to out there?" Sango murmured, hearing Inuyasha and Kagome's voices from the other side of the dojo room's closed door.

"Oh, Inuyasha's letting Kagome have a little fun today since it's her birthday," Miroku answered.

Both of them flinched when they heard Kagome let out a shrill shriek.

"Does that sound like fun to you?" Sango asked.

* * *

Okay. She had to admit it.

Inuyasha not only had a killer kick. He had a killer arm thrust too.

'Man, his balloons are like _bullets_,' Kagome thought as she gritted her teeth. A water balloon whistled in the air and hit her in the stomach, soaking that part of her body. She had already used up all her balloons. All of them had missed Inuyasha.

"Got you again," Inuyasha smirked, several yards away from her and already having another balloon ready in his hand.

"It's not fair!" she scowled at him. "You always throw one of those things at me before I can recover from the last one!"

"Well, too bad," Inuyasha stuck his tongue out.

"That's it! Forget the balloons!" she shouted. "This is completely to your advantage! I don't have anymore balloons left to throw at you!"

"Then we'll just practice defense for now," Inuyasha responded. He picked up another water balloon and began tossing it up and down with his hand. "Come at me and try dodging the balloons I throw at you at the same time."

Kagome rolled up her sleeves and said in a deadly voice, "I'll give you a piece of my mind."

She bolted forward. Inuyasha hurled a balloon at her head. She moved to the right, the balloon narrowly flying past her and hitting the grass with a splash.

'Yes! I dodged it!' Kagome thought triumphantly. She yelped as Inuyasha threw another balloon at her. It collided against leg and popped, splashing water onto the leg of her white training pants.

Regardless, Kagome continued charging at him and held back an arm. She was within contact distance now. Then, with all the energy within her, Kagome brought her fist forward and delivered a solid punch at Inuyasha's stomach, "HAI!"

Inuyasha dropped to his knees.

"Man," he groaned. "You sure do know how to pack a punch."

"I know," Kagome said proudly.

Inuyasha grunted, "Come on, let's clean up. Training's almost over for the day."

He stood up. Then, the both of them walked around to pick up balloon remains in the grass. Kagome finished cleaning the area around her first. She threw the remains into the tub of remaining water balloons that hadn't been thrown yet.

An idea popped into her head. With a mischievous smile, Kagome took one of the balloons from the tub and juggled it lightly in one hand.

"Hey, Inuyasha!" she called out. Inuyasha turned to look at her.

Without warning, Kagome hurled the balloon at him, successfully hitting him square in the chest. Kagome laughed as Inuyasha stared blankly at her and then down at his now wet gi coat.

"Take _that_," Kagome smirked and then shrieked, running away when he began chasing her.

Inuyasha followed in hot pursuit. She rounded a corner and yelled when he caught hold of her arm and threw her over his shoulder, heading back toward their training spot near the pond.

"Let me down!" Kagome demanded.

"Oh, don't worry," he shot her a sly smile. "I will."

Inuyasha stopped in front of the large pond, his hands gripping onto her waist.

Kag looked from the pond to him and then exclaimed, "Don't you _dare_, Inuyasha Takahashi!"

He didn't listen to her. Inuyasha threw her into the pond. Kagome screamed. She splashed around for a few seconds before swimming toward shore.

"You..." she growled and glared at Inuyasha, who was standing at the edge of the pond, laughing in amusement. "Bastard!"

She grabbed onto the front of his black gi coat and yanked forward. Inuyasha stopped his laughter when he lost his balance and fell in right with her.

Kagome started laughing this time, "Hahaha! Serves you right!"

Inuyasha brushed his wet black hair from his eyes, "Wench."

"Jerk."

Kagome covered her face with an arm when Inuyasha sent a huge splash her way. She splashed back at him. And then it turned into a splashing war. By the time it was over and as Inuyasha and Kagome climbed out of the pond and settled onto the grass, they were both completely soaked.

Kagome wiped the sleeve of her coat across her face, which didn't do much help with drying since her sleeve was wet.

"That was so low of you, you know," Inuyasha remarked beside her as he shrugged off his wet gi coat, wrapping it up into a bundle to twist the water out.

Kagome found herself looking at his six-pack and quickly looked away a moment later with a blush, "Well, you deserved it. You dumped me into the pond first."

"I guess that's true," Inuyasha smiled, slipping his coat back on. His violet eyes looked into hers and then lowered toward her chest. Kagome looked down herself and saw that her bra was visible through her soaked white gi coat.

She shrieked and slapped Inuyasha hard across the cheek.

"You _hentai_!" she shouted, turning red in the face and crossing her arms over her chest to cover the view of her breasts. "You know, you really tick me off!"

"And you turn me on," Inuyasha answered, giving her one of his sly grins.

"Flirtatious jerk."

"Don't you ever get tired of saying that?"

"To you? No," Kagome said stubbornly. "With you, I never get tired of saying that."

Inuyasha gave her a fake hurt look, "Why is that?"

"Because it's true. You really are a flirtatious jerk."

Inuyasha half-smiled, "And you're a girl who's grouchy all the time."

"I think you're the most conniving and flirtatious jerk I've ever met in my life," Kagome remarked, turning her head away angrily.

There was a period of silence. Both of them sat cross-legged on the grass, staring at the pond in front of them.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get anything for you on your birthday today," Inuyasha said.

"It's alright," Kagome shrugged.

"So," Inuyasha said slowly. "Did you at least have fun from all this?"

"I wouldn't exactly call getting soaked fun," Kagome sniffed. She paused and then admitted. "But overall, I have to say that I did have fun today."

"That's good to hear," Inuyasha smiled. When she didn't say anything else, he faced her and said, "Look at me."

Kagome reluctantly did so and found her eyes lost in his like so many times before.

"You say I'm the most conniving and flirtatious jerk you've ever met your my life, right?" he asked, pressing his forehead against hers. Kagome's heart skipped a beat.

"Yes," she managed to answer.

"Well, _I_ think…that you're the most beautiful girl I've ever set my eyes on," Inuyasha continued in a quiet voice.

Then, before she could give a reply, he pressed his mouth against hers in a soft kiss. It felt different from the kiss he'd given her during the play rehearsal. Unlike that kiss, this kiss had feeling in it.

Before Kagome could kiss back, Inuyasha drew himself away from her and stood up.

"Happy Birthday, Kag," he said, avoiding her eyes. He turned his back on her and picked up the tub of water balloons, heading back into the shrine. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Kagome stared after him and brought her fingertips to her lips, "You too…"

A/N: Woohoo! Inuyasha finally kissed Kagome!

What's going to happen next? **X.X**

Please review!


	13. Solace in Her Arms

**Shrine of Love**

A/N: Sorry for the long update and thanks for being patient, everyone! **:D**

Chapter 13: Solace in Her Arms

"Damn. It looks like it's going to rain," Inuyasha murmured, zipping up his jacket.

"Let's get going," Kagome said behind him. "We have to hurry. Miroku's parents have to be picked up soon."

Inuyasha mounted his bike as Kagome settled the shopping bag of oden ingredients into her bike basket.

"That cousin of yours needs to learn how to drive," he said. "It's not fair that I have to drive him all the way to the airport and back to the shrine again for free."

Kagome rolled her eyes as she climbed onto her bike, "You and money."

"What can I say?" Inuyasha shrugged. "Money makes my world go 'round."

His eyes brightened at a sight behind her. He pointed, "Hey, look behind you!"

Kagome whipped her head around. She saw nothing. She turned her head back, only to see Inuyasha riding away on his bike and laughing hard.

She tightened her grip on her bike handles and grinded her teeth together as she sped after him.

"Come back here, you _bastard_!"

* * *

Inuyasha and Kagome stood at the doorway, their mouths open in shock as they watched Miroku running around the house to tidy it up.

"You're…" Inuyasha began.

"…cleaning," Kagome finished.

Both of them turned their heads to look at each other, having a hard time believing what they were seeing. They both turned back to the sight of Miroku running back and forth, dusting off everything that was in his sight.

"Don't just stand there!" Miroku snapped when he noticed the both of them just standing there idly. "We have a lot of cleaning to do before my parents come home!"

"Don't yell at us. You do remember that we've been doing all this cleaning every Saturday _voluntarily_ for you, don't you?" Inuyasha snapped back.

"If we weren't here," Kagome added. "You'd be doing all this alone."

Miroku stopped dusting, "See what I mean by you two ganging up on me every Saturday? You two are doing it right now!"

"Well, we have a good reason to be," Inuyasha replied. "But anyway, I'm not going to waste cleaning time. So, you go ahead and continue dusting. Kagome will start cooking the oden and I'll do the laundry."

"The laundry is done," Miroku said. "I did it while you and Kagome were out shopping."

Kagome and Inuyasha's mouths dropped open in shock again.

"Pinch me," Inuyasha said. "I think I'm dreaming."

"Haha. Very funny," Miroku answered sarcastically. He started dusting again. "Now would you two _please _start making dinner?"

"Alright, alright," Kagome said. "Let's start cooking, Inuyasha. Before Miroku gives us another rage attack."

Inuyasha laughed, "Rage attack. That's a good way of putting it."

They both ran for the kitchen when Miroku started chasing after them.

* * *

"My way."

"No, _my_ way."

Inuyasha and Kagome glared at each other.

"My way of oden tastes better," Kagome sniffed.

"Well, my way of oden tastes and _looks_ better," Inuyasha countered.

"Mine has better ingredients."

"Mine has better and _more_ ingredients."

Kagome let out a heavy sigh, "This could go on forever."

"You say that because you're giving up," Inuyasha grinned.

Kagome focused on him again, "I didn't say _anything_ about giving up."

"You might as well give up and admit defeat," Inuyasha said, waving a wooden cooking spoon in the air as if to emphasize his point. "I can win almost any argument."

Kagome rolled her eyes, making Inuyasha laugh.

"I have a better idea," he said a moment later. "Why don't we combine our recipes together? That way, both of us will be happy."

Kagome stood quietly as she considered the suggestion.

"All right," she replied slowly. "I guess that would be good."

She remained where she stood as Inuyasha moved around the kitchen, taking out pots and utensils that would be needed for cooking. Kagome watched him quietly as he took out a cutting board and knife.

'Inuyasha,' she thought, her eyes softening. 'Nothing's different between us…even after what you did on my birthday…which was only last week.'

"Hey, Kag," Inuyasha said suddenly, turning his full attention toward her. "What did we decide on for dessert?"

Kagome tapped her finger against her cheek as she pondered, "I think it was cake."

Inuyasha's forehead wrinkled, "Nuh uh. That'll take a little too much time. Let's do cupcakes instead."

"Alright."

And then the two went to work.

* * *

After an hour of hard work, Inuyasha and Kagome finished the cooking. Inuyasha settled the pot of oden in the dining room while Kagome followed him with a plate of cupcakes in hand.

They both sat down at the table and each took a cupcake that had frosting on the top.

"This is going to spoil our dinner," Kagome remarked dryly, breaking off another piece of cupcake and putting it into her mouth.

Inuyasha laughed, "It's just a snack."

He threw the last piece of his cupcake left into his mouth and eyed hers, which was only half eaten. "Are you going to finish that?"

"Maybe."

"Give me a bite."

"You already had a whole cupcake!"

"I'm a growing guy," Inuyasha winked.

When Kagome broke off another piece of her cupcake, he caught hold of her fingers before she could put the piece into her mouth. Then, he slowly moved her hand toward his lips.

"Inuyasha, what the hell-" she cut off when he stuck her thumb and index finger in his mouth. She felt his tongue remove the cupcake piece from between her two fingers and then slowly lick the frosting from one finger at a time. Kagome shivered.

Inuyasha removed her fingers from his mouth and smirked, "Liked that feeling, huh?"

Kagome snatched her hand away, "You wish I did."

Inuyasha gave her a smile and then leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling.

"That was good," he said cheerfully. "You want to feed me another one?"

"_NO_."

* * *

"Come back soon," Kagome said, sitting on a couch in the living room. "Dinner will get cold if you don't."

Miroku slipped his hands into gloves and zipped up his jacket as he stood at the living room's doorway, "Don't worry, we'll be back quick."

"Personally, I'd _rush_ back home in this kind of weather," Inuyasha remarked as he shrugged on his own jacket, peering out through a window in the living room at the same time. "It's raining pretty hard out there."

"Well, rain or shine, we're going to pick up my parents right now. Japan Airlines, plane 999 is supposed to arrive in a few minutes," Miroku said, noticing that Kagome had turned her attention back to the flickering images of the television. From the looks of it, his cousin was watching the news. Footage of a stormy sky was shown, followed up by a few scenes of a restless ocean.

"Let's go, Inuyasha," Miroku said firmly, turning his back and starting to head out.

Inuyasha left his spot near the window and started walking toward the doorway where Miroku stood. However, Miroku heard his friend's footsteps come to a stop after only a few steps. Miroku turned back around toward the living room, "Inuyasha, what gives? We have to go!"

Inuyasha had his attention stuck on the television and didn't look at him. Miroku sighed heavily and walked up to stand next to him, seeing what was captivating his best friend's attention at the moment.

"…fifteen minutes ago, a plane was caught in the middle of the storm. Briefly after, the plane's engines failed and the plane plummeted into the violent waves of the ocean. Witnesses have reported that they did not see the plane surface after several minutes."

Miroku felt a knot form in his stomach.

"The name of the plane: Japan Airlines…plane 999."

* * *

"This is a dream…" Miroku whispered. "All a dream."

He, Inuyasha, and Kagome had rushed to the airport. Miroku had bolted ahead at incredible speed once he reached the entrance doors and ran up to the counters, pushing his way through other people in line, ignoring their protests.

"Japan Airlines…plane 999…" Miroku panted to the astonished woman on the other side of the counter. "Did it come in yet?"

"Sir," she replied, still startled. "Didn't you hear? It's all over the news right now. Japan Airlines, plane 999 fell into the ocean."

"But surely, some survivors were found!" Miroku said, his voice rising. He gripped his fingers against the edge of the counter.

"I'm sorry sir," the woman replied, sympathy in her voice. "Neither plane nor passengers surfaced after the incident happened. People are still on the lookout for some surviving passengers…but an hour has already passed with no luck."

Miroku's hands trembled. He released them from the counter.

"Mom…Dad…" he whispered, barely audible. He fell onto his knees, his whole body shaking.

He kneeled there on the floor for who knew how long before Inuyasha and Kagome finally reached him.

"Miroku…" Kagome said softly. She settled her hands on one of his arms.

"They're both gone…" Miroku said in a shaky voice. "…both gone…"

Kagome watched him, her eyes filling up with tears, "Oh, Miroku…"

She looked up at Inuyasha when he knelt down beside Miroku and put one of Miroku's arms around his neck. Then, with difficulty, Inuyasha pulled Miroku up to his feet.

"Come on, Miroku," Inuyasha said quietly. "Let's take you home."

* * *

"What an unfortunate event," Mrs. Higurashi said, tight-lipped. "I can't believe this is happening."

"Mom, you look pale," Kagome said softly, giving her mother a hug. "Are you okay?"

"Of course I'm not okay. I just found out that my younger sister and brother-in-law died," her mother said, her voice quivering. And then her mother broke out sobbing. Kagome grimly began rubbing circles on her mother's back.

Her mother, grandfather, and Souta had immediately come over to Houshi Shrine after receiving a phone call from her about the incident.

Kagome looked through the open doorway that led to the kitchen and spotted her grandfather talking to Miroku. She only caught onto a few words of their conversation.

"…funeral sometime this week…new guardian…still live here…"

Miroku was nodding stiffly every once in awhile.

'He hasn't cried even once after he found out that his parents died,' Kagome thought. 'He's so strong.'

She turned her attention back to her mother when her sobs changed into wails.

"Th-this isn't r-right," Mrs. Higurashi said between her crying. "I-I'm supposed t-to die before my y-younger sister…my _only_ sister!"

Kagome watched her mother for a few more seconds before slipping her arms away.

"I'll go get you some tissues," she said, standing up and walking out of the living room. Kagome headed down a hallway and paused at the doorway of the dining room. The food Inuyasha and her had cooked earlier were sitting on the table, completely cold by now. She turned to continue on her way and found herself bumping into Inuyasha.

"Hey," he greeted quietly.

"Hi," Kagome said in reply. She noticed that Souta was being carried on Inuyasha's back, asleep and his eyes a little puffy from crying. "How's Souta?"

"He cried his eyes out," Inuyasha said solemnly. "You guys must've been pretty close to Miroku's parents if you're all crying this much."

Kagome smiled sadly, "We _were_ close."

Inuyasha shifted the legs of young boy on his back into a more secure hold and then asked, "So how about you?"

"What about me?"

"You haven't let out your grief yet."

"I have to be strong for my mom," Kagome said, turning her back on him. "She's already lost someone she loves a few years ago and now lost two more. And you shouldn't be worrying about me. You should be worrying about Miroku."

"What's wrong with me worrying about you?" Inuyasha asked in a hurt voice, which came to Kagome's surprise. "I care about the both of you."

She turned around slowly and saw his penetrating violet eyes looking directly at her. Kagome opened her mouth to say something, but Souta woke up at that moment and asked, "Where…am I?"

"Still at Houshi Shrine," Inuyasha said, tearing his gaze away from Kagome and turned his head a little to smile at Souta. "Are you feeling better?"

Souta nodded and drifted off to sleep again.

"Let's take you to your mom," Inuyasha said quietly. He walked toward the living room. Kagome, suddenly remembering she had to get tissues for her mom, began continuing down the hallway.

As they brushed past each other, she heard Inuyasha say, "Kagome, just to let you know, if you ever need a shoulder to cry on…I'll be there."

She waited until Inuyasha's footsteps were gone before she whispered, "Thank you…"

* * *

The funeral was the next day.

Kagome and her family were at Houshi Shrine again. However, this time, relatives were also there too. Kagome watched Miroku as people came his way and told him practically the same line over and over again.

"You poor boy."

"I feel so sorry for you, dear."

"How horrible it is for both of your parents to die…you're left to live all alone."

The truth was, Miroku _wasn't_ going to live all alone. He had a new guardian. Mushin. Except that, Kagome wasn't sure that he was the wisest choice. Mushin, who was from Miroku's dad's side of the family, was practically an alcoholic, always having a bottle of sake in hand wherever he went. And he was always sleeping.

Kagome spotted the man and saw that he, indeed, had a bottle of sake in his right hand. He was talking to Miroku. When he walked away, Kagome walked up to her cousin and gave him a hug.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Awful," Miroku said tiredly. "Pitiful. I just want today to be over with."

Kagome eyed him in concern, "You haven't shed a tear at all."

"That's because men don't cry," Miroku said quietly. "And I wouldn't be talking if I were you. You haven't really shed a tear either…except for the few at the airport."

He smiled down at her, "We're alike. We want to be strong."

Kagome nodded grimly.

"Anyways," Miroku sighed. "We're continuing the martial arts sessions tomorrow."

"So soon right after this? Don't you want to take a few days off?"

"No."

* * *

**:o:O:o:O:o: Monday :o:O:o:O:o:**

Kagome stared up at the sky as she and the usual people headed to Houshi Shrine after school. Behind her, she heard Kouga answering Ayame's questions about martial arts like usual. In front of her, Miroku and Inuyasha were laughing about something.

"Kagome."

Kagome turned her head and saw Sango with a thoughtful expression.

"I'm scared," Sango finally said as they walked alongside together. "Miroku hasn't been groping me all day."

"Maybe because he's tired of it?" Kagome laughed.

"HIM?" Sango snorted. "Tired of groping? I don't think so. Did something happen to him?"

Kagome smiled sadly, "Yeah. His parents died in a plane accident on Saturday."

Sango's mouth dropped open, "Oh, Kami. How's he taking it?"

Kagome's eyes looked at her cousin, who was in front of her. He was still laughing with Inuyasha.

"Pretty well," she said. "Pretty well…"

* * *

"Pretty well, huh?" Sango murmured. Miroku was demonstrating a move to her. She was paying attention alright, but not at the demonstration…she was paying attention to Miroku's face.

"Miroku?" she said in the middle of the demonstration.

Miroku stopped whatever he was doing and blinked, "Yes?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah…why do you ask?"

"Well…your parents died on Saturday, so I thought you'd be-"

"I'm fine," Miroku interrupted.

"It's okay to cry, you know," Sango said.

"Men don't cry."

"Sometimes you _need_ to cry!" Sango argued. "Otherwise you'll have a nervous breakdown!"

"Don't worry," Miroku said, continuing his demonstration again. "I won't have one."

* * *

The week passed by slowly, for Sango at least. Especially during the martial arts lessons after school. She'd been trying to cheer Miroku up all week, especially during lunch, and told him that if he needed to cry, she'd be there for him. Miroku just brushed her offer off with a laugh.

Which had hurt her feelings a little.

Wednesday passed and soon it was Thursday. It was after school and she and Miroku were training in the dojo. They were in the middle of one of their usual matches.

Miroku had scored several kicks on her, and she had scored several punches on him. When Miroku bolted toward her for a punch, Sango stared in confusion when he stopped midway and collapsed onto his knees, his palms on the floor.

"Unh…" was all that came from him.

Sango dropped her fighting stance and slowly walked to him, "Miroku? Are you okay?"

When she received no answer, Sango strode over to him and knelt down in front of him. And that was when she saw a tear fall from his face onto the wooden floor.

"Miroku," she said, alarmed.

"Men…don't cry," she heard Miroku say to himself, barely audible. "Men don't cry…"

When he finally looked up at her, Sango's breath caught in her throat when she saw his eyes were filled with tears.

"I didn't tell my parents I loved them the day when they left for Nagasaki two months ago," he said, his voice shaking. "All I said was, 'Take care and have fun! Get me some okonomiyaki from there too!' That's all I said to them before they left."

Miroku looked down toward the dojo floor again when his cries became harder, "…and now, I really wish I _had_ told them. And I wish I'd gone with them and died with them because it hurts like _hell_ inside me right now-"

"Don't say that," Sango said suddenly.

Miroku looked up and stared at nothing in particular as she wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him close in a warm hug.

"You're alive for a reason," Sango said softly. "I know it hurts inside you right now. I know exactly how you feel. My parents died when I was young."

She swallowed hard, "And even if I still miss them like crazy, I'm moving on in life…because I know that's what they would've wanted. I'm sure your parents would've wanted the same."

Sango blinked in surprise when Miroku's arms circled her waist and drew her close to him. Then, the two of them just stayed in that position for the rest of the time they had left of training that day…the both of them never loosening the warm embrace they had created.

* * *

"He seems a lot better," Kagome said. She looked up at Inuyasha and saw him nod.

It was Friday.

She and Inuyasha were sitting up in the usual tree and looking down at Miroku and Sango. Miroku was laughing at something Sango had just told him.

"How about you?" Inuyasha asked.

"I'm fine. And if it makes you feel better, I 'let out some grief' on Sunday after the funeral."

"Really," Inuyasha said, raising an eyebrow. "For how long?"

"About half an hour," Kagome shrugged. "I don't know. My mom was sobbing and then I got depressed and the next thing I knew, I locked myself in my room and began crying."

She felt the branch she was sitting on shake a little and found Inuyasha sitting beside her a moment later. When he pulled her close, she looked down at his arms and then glared at him.

"What are you planning?" she demanded.

He kissed her cheek.

"I didn't get to kiss you on Saturday," Inuyasha explained cheerfully as she reddened.

* * *

During training after school, Sango, for some strange reason, felt happy.

She felt happy because _Miroku_ was happy.

"Strange," she muttered to herself. When the hour was over, she opened the door and was about to head out to go change, but a hand clamped over her wrist.

She turned and found her face to face with Miroku.

"About yesterday…" he started, looking a little embarrassed.

"Don't mention it," she said. "And I _told_ you you'd have a nervous breakdown, didn't I?"

Miroku grinned, "I guess you did."

Sango smiled and began turning away again.

"Wait," she heard him say. His hand was still on her wrist.

She turned back and gave him a questioning look, "What?"

Her heart thudded in her chest when she saw him lean his face down towards hers.

When his mouth was an inch away from hers, he said, "Thank you…"

And then he brought his face down all the way and kissed her.

* * *

"Practice your moves at home, alright?" Kouga yelled after Rin and Shippou as they ran out the door to go change, squealing their heads off.

When he didn't get a response from them, he shook his head and sighed.

"Don't worry, they'll practice…and so will I," Ayame assured him with a giggle before heading out herself. Kouga observed the room for awhile before closing it up. He was about to head to the boys' changing room but something caught his eye.

'Looks like Miroku made his move on Sango,' he thought with a small smile. The two were so absorbed in what they were doing that they didn't even hear Rin and Shippou storming out earlier.

He turned his back on the scene and walked off.

'I think it's about time…to make _my_ move on Kagome.'

A/N: Miroku and Sango have hooked up! **:D** And what does Kouga have planned, I wonder? **:P**

Anyways, can anyone believe that it's been more than two years since this fanfiction has been out? That's a pretty long time. **X.X** But I promise to finish it this year…possibly by the end of summer. **:D **Thanks to everyone who's stuck by me since the beginning!

Please review!


	14. A Broken Heart

**Shrine of Love**

A/N: Thank you for your reviews! **:D** Now get ready for some more drama!

Chapter 14: A Broken Heart

It was Wednesday of the following week. The four friends were eating lunch…the only difference was that Sango and Miroku, who were usually talking to each other, were kissing.

"Kami," Kagome said in disbelief. "Sango and Miroku hooked up."

Inuyasha looked away from his sketchpad and glanced down at her, "Well, we've known since Monday when they _told_ us that."

She glared up at him from the branch she sat on, "I know that. I just can't believe it actually happened."

Kagome stared curiously at Inuyasha when he began flipping through his old drawings in the sketchbook. He stopped at a page, wrote something at the bottom of it, and tore out the sheet.

"What are you doing?" Kagome asked suspiciously as Inuyasha folded the paper into an airplane. He just grinned at her.

Then, Inuyasha threw the paper airplane at the couple sitting on the grass. It hit Miroku hard in the head.

"Ow," Miroku flinched, breaking the kiss he had going. Sango picked up the airplane and opened it up. It was a sketch of her and Miroku eating lunch together…and at the bottom of the page, 'lovebirds' was scribbled. She blushed and looked up at her two friends sitting in the oak tree above her and Miroku.

Inuyasha and Kagome waved back with sly looks on their faces.

"What does it say?" Miroku asked, taking the sketch from Sango's hands. When he saw the drawing and word at the bottom, he shifted his view towards his two friends in the tree and stuck out his tongue. "That's right, Sango and I are lovebirds. That's why she doesn't mind me groping her anymore."

As if to prove his point, he reached out a hand and grabbed onto Sango's bottom. Her face reddened.

"HENTAI!" she screamed and slapped Miroku hard.

He laughed nervously with a twitch, "Hehe…or maybe she _does_ still mind."

Inuyasha and Kagome laughed at the scene below them. However, Kagome's laughter cut off when she felt the branch she was sitting on give way. The branch broke off completely and she screamed as she began falling.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted, jerking his eyes away from Miroku and Sango. He launched himself off the branch he sat on.

Kagome winced as she felt leaves scrape against her cheeks, her eyes closed tightly as she waited for a collision with ground. However, her eyes flew open when she felt strong arms wrap around her, pulling her close to a warm body. It was Inuyasha. Right before they hit the ground, he flipped their positions. Inuyasha crashed into the grass, Kagome feeling the aftershock.

"Oh, my god! Are you two okay?" Sango called out in concern as she and Miroku started running over to the fallen pair.

Kagome clenched Inuyasha's shirt and whispered, "Thank you."

She expected Inuyasha to let go any time soon, which was why she was surprised when he kept his arms around her.

"Don't ever…" he said in a serious voice. "…scare me like that again."

She nodded grimly.

"Well, well," Miroku's sly voice came from above her. "Looks like Sango and I aren't the only lovebirds around here."

That was when Kagome noticed the position she and Inuyasha were in. She pushed herself away from him with a blush.

Miroku and Sango laughed.

* * *

:o:O:o:O:o: After School :o:O:o:O:o:

"You know, you could've easily landed onto another branch nearby," Inuyasha remarked as they wrapped up training for the day.

"Well, I'm sorry for being so _shocked_ to do so," Kagome snapped.

"Grouchy now, are we?"

"I am _not_ grouchy."

"You _shouldn't_ be grouchy. _I'm_ the one who should be grouchy. You nearly threw my back out!"

"Well, I didn't ask you to save me!" Kagome yelled. She blinked. "Wait, are you calling me _heavy_?"

"Eh, no," Inuyasha said, backing away as she began advancing on him.

Kagome cracked her knuckles, glared at him for awhile, and then sighed, "Whatever."

Inuyasha changed the subject, "Hey, could you go over next door real quick and tell Rin that I'll be coming home a little later today? I have to help Miroku move a few things around the shrine."

"Why me?"

"Because I don't want to go in there when that bastard Kouga is there."

Kagome rolled her eyes, "Fine."

* * *

Kagome slid the door open to the beginners' training room and walked in.

"Hey," Kouga greeted her when he saw her. "What gives me the pleasure of your visit?"

"Well, I was looking for Rin."

"I let her, Shippou, and Ayame go change early about a minute ago."

"Alright then," Kagome smiled. "Thanks. I'll see you later."

"Hold up."

Kagome halted in mid-step and turned around, "Yes?"

"I heard you fell from a tree today," Kouga said slowly.

"Yeah. But Inuyasha pretty much caught me."

Kouga grunted at Inuyasha's name, but then asked, "So are you okay?"

Kagome nodded with a cheerful look, "Yup."

"You say that, but I can see some scrapes on your cheeks," Kouga grinned.

"Oh, them? They only hurt a little."

Kouga closed the distance between them, and said quietly, "I know a way that'll make them feel better."

When Kagome looked at him questioningly, he planted a kiss on both of her cheeks.

Kagome blushed, "Uh…thank you."

He didn't respond. Instead, Kouga bent down and pressed his mouth against hers in a hard kiss. Kagome's eyes widened and she winced in pain when his arms wrapped around her in an iron hold. With difficulty, she slid her arms onto his chest to push away, but to no avail.

Kagome made a sound of protest. Kouga mistook it as a sigh or moan and slipped his tongue into her mouth. Kagome desperately continued to tear away from him.

And that's when she heard the door give a silent clatter as it slid slightly open. Her eyes flew over to the door and saw Inuyasha standing at the doorway, blankly staring at the both of them.

'Inuyasha! No! It's not what it looks like!' she yelled out to him in her mind.

She saw him turn and walk away silently.

Now she felt more desperate than ever to get out of the room.

'I swore I'd never do this to a guy unless it was necessary,' she thought. 'And apparently, it's necessary right now.'

Kagome kneed Kouga hard in the groin. He immediately let go of her and shouted out in pain, doubling over and falling onto his knees.

"You don't win a girl's heart by jamming your tongue down her throat," Kagome told him coldly before running out of the room to go chase after Inuyasha. The hallway was empty. She ran next door and peered inside the intermediates' training room and saw that it was empty too.

She was too late. Inuyasha was gone.

* * *

Kagome gloomily ate her lunch beside Sango on Thursday the next day.

"What's wrong, buddy?" Sango asked her best friend. "You seem so down today. Is there a particular reason why you and Inuyasha aren't having lunch together like usual?"

Kagome glimpsed at Inuyasha, who was eating lunch with Miroku today.

"Well…something happened yesterday," she said slowly. "And I think Inuyasha's mad at me because he's been avoiding me all day."

"Oh, he'll get over it."

* * *

'He did _not_ get over it,' Kagome thought. It was Friday and Inuyasha still wasn't speaking to her. On Thursday after school, they'd trained together, but he didn't speak to her unless she made a mistake on one of her moves or anything else that related to training.

And then today, he told her they would have a break from training. Which was why she was sitting in the kitchen at the moment, staring out the window and watching him sit in front of the pond, doing nothing but sketch.

"What should I do?" she asked herself miserably. She stood up and headed to the training room for the advanced where Miroku and Sango were.

* * *

Inuyasha was busy sketching when a voice broke through the silence.

"Hey."

It was the bastard Kouga. Great.

"Aren't you supposed to be teaching right now?" Inuyasha asked with an icy voice.

"Training's over."

Inuyasha grunted.

"So anyway," Kouga said in a cocky voice. He was still in his gi. "I bet you didn't know that a few days ago, I got to share a lovely kiss with Kagome Higurashi."

"Oh, _really_."

"Yes. And even though you got to kiss her during play practice, I got to kiss Kagome _for real_."

Inuyasha kept his eyes on his sketch as he replied, "I bet she didn't kiss you back."

Kouga felt anger boil up inside him. He snapped, "Oh, yeah? Well, did she _sigh_ when you kissed her?"

He smirked when he saw the pencil in Inuyasha's hand begin shaking. His eyes wandered to the sketch Inuyasha was drawing, "Hm, drawing a hobby of yours?"

He reached down to take hold of the sketchpad. That was when Inuyasha jammed his needle-sharp pencil into Kouga's hand. Kouga howled in pain and withdrew his bleeding hand.

"Don't you dare touch it, you asshole," Inuyasha said, his eyes dark.

Kouga trembled with fury. And then gave Inuyasha a solid punch in the face.

* * *

Kagome, Sango, and Miroku were busy talking with each other as they slid the door open to leave the training room when they heard shouting coming from the area near the pond.

Their eyes roamed the area and spotted Inuyasha and Kouga fighting.

Kagome gasped when she saw that Inuyasha had a bloody lip…but then again, that seemed a lot better than the bloody nose and black eye that Kouga had. Both of them looked extremely mad at each other.

"Inuyasha!" she cried out, moving toward him. Miroku grabbed onto her wrist to stop her.

"No," he said firmly. "Kagome, I want you to watch this and see how anger can take over a person."

Kagome's whole body continued shaking as she watched the brawl that took place in front of her very eyes. She was shocked every time Inuyasha delivered harsh blow after harsh blow to Kouga. She'd never seen Inuyasha so violent before. She flinched every time Kouga countered with an attack of his own.

Inuyasha grabbed hold of a wad of Kouga's hair and fiercely dunked Kouga's head into the pond. When he pulled Kouga's face back out, Kouga was sputtering.

"I've never hated you as much as I hate you right now, bastard," Inuyasha said in a deadly low voice. He made a move to stick Kouga's head back into the water.

"Inuyasha, _stop_!" Kagome screamed at the top of her lungs. "_STOP IT!_"

At the sound of her voice, Inuyasha's hold on Kouga loosened. Kouga took that as an opportunity to roll onto his back and used the last of his energy to kick up into Inuyasha's chin. It became silent. The two males laid on the grass panting heavily. The battle was over.

"Go home," Miroku said quietly to Kagome.

She objected, "No. I'm staying-"

"Kagome."

She flinched at the harsh tone of her older cousin's voice.

"Go home now," Miroku ordered. "You should leave Inuyasha alone today."

Kagome opened her mouth to protest again, but Sango took hold of her arm and steered her away.

"Come on, Kagome," Sango said quietly.

Miroku watched Sango and his cousin until they disappeared from view. Then, he turned his attention to Inuyasha and Kouga.

"Inuyasha, you really need to control that anger of yours," he said calmly as he squatted down beside his best friend.

"Well, I've got plenty to be mad about right now," Inuyasha spat. He stood up and brushed himself off before walking away. Miroku stared after him and then shifted his eyes to Kouga.

"You look pretty beat up," he said as Kouga sat up painfully. He stood up and offered a hand to Kouga. "Let me help you."

"Back off," Kouga said, slapping his hand away. "Just leave me alone."

Miroku frowned, but returned his hand to his side, "Okay then. But I suggest you get those wounds taken care of soon."

He turned his back on him and followed after Inuyasha.

Kouga wiped an arm across his nose and when he brought his arm back down, he noticed a streak of blood on it.

"Damn, I have a bloody nose," he groaned. He let out a heavy sigh.

"Kouga?"

He whipped his head around. Ayame, already back in her regular clothes, stared back in shock at his condition.

"Leave me alone," he growled.

She didn't. Instead, she took a step toward him, and then another. She knelt down in front of him.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes filled with concern.

"I said _leave me alone_!"

"No," Ayame said back sharply, much to Kouga's surprise. "I won't. You need help."

She reached into her backpack, dug around, and pulled out a handkerchief. She dipped it into the pond and when she pulled it back out, she held it toward his face.

"Hold still," she commanded. When Kouga turned his head away from her hand, she repeated, "Hold. Still."

Kouga slowly turned his face towards hers again and didn't say a single word as she gently started wiping his face clean.

* * *

It was Saturday morning. Kagome rode her bike over to Houshi Shrine early. As she reached the top of the shrine steps, she saw Inuyasha sweeping.

"Hi," she said cheerfully.

"Hi," he said back in a monotone voice. Kagome's cheeriness dissolved. At that moment, Miroku stepped out with the shopping list in hand.

"Here's the shopping list, Inuyasha," he said, handing it over to his friend. Inuyasha took it without a word. Miroku watched him for a minute before turning to Kagome. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

Kagome nodded and they walked into the shrine house.

"Do you know why Inuyasha's been so mad this week?" Miroku asked her as they stood in the living room. "He won't tell me anything."

"Well," she paused. "It might have been because of the fact that Kouga kissed me on Wednesday."

Miroku's eyes went wide as saucers, "Kouga? Kissed you?"

She nodded, "I think he's mad about that."

They heard a loud thump come from somewhere in the house.

"What was that?" Kagome asked with an alarmed voice.

"Mushin," Miroku answered with a sigh. "That geezer. He probably dropped to the floor from drinking too much sake. _Again_."

"Is that all he does? Drink sake?"

"Yeah. He stays in his room all day sleeping and drinking sake, and doesn't come out until midnight, which is when he eats his breakfast, lunch, and dinner all in _one hour_. And then he goes back into his room and the cycle starts all over again. The only good things about him are that he's paying the taxes and he does his own laundry."

Kagome shook her head.

Miroku opened his mouth to add something, but a voice interrupted.

"I'm going shopping right now," Inuyasha's voice echoed in the hallway from the front door. Then, the two heard the door close shut.

Miroku turned Kagome around and gave her a small push towards the front door, "Go cheer him up. We're having okonomiyaki again because we couldn't really eat it that Saturday two weeks ago when my parents…well, you know what happened.."

Kagome nodded.

Miroku continued, "Moods can affect everything…and I don't want my okonomiyaki tasting less delicious than usual."

* * *

"Hey, wait up!" Kagome called after Inuyasha. She was pedaling like crazy to catch up to him. Just when she thought she had reached him, he sped past a yellow light, leaving her by herself to wait at the red light that followed immediately after.

She watched him pedal off, his figure getting smaller and smaller, farther and farther.

"Inuyasha…" she whispered, a pain developing inside her.

She'd never felt so far from him in her life.

* * *

She thought it couldn't get any worse.

But it did.

By the time she'd reached the supermarket and found Inuyasha, she saw that he already had almost everything that was on the shopping list in the shopping basket he was carrying.

She tiredly followed him to the grocery section. She watched him quietly as he picked up potatoes and placed them in the basket. They moved on to the onions. By that time, Kagome snapped.

When Inuyasha laid a hand on an onion, she laid her own hand over his.

"Okay, that's it, Inuyasha," she glared at him. "I can't take this anymore. Tell me why you're mad."

"I'm not mad," he muttered. He slipped his hand out from underneath hers and took a different onion instead.

"That is the biggest lie I've ever heard."

Inuyasha didn't respond. Instead, he proceeded to the cash register. Kagome let out a heavy sigh and rushed after him. After Inuyasha paid for the products, he walked out of the supermarket toward his bike. Kagome gloomily followed and wasn't surprised when he climbed onto his bike and rode away without her. Again.

She climbed onto her own bike. The pain inside her had increased more and more as the day wore on. She looked up and saw Rin's Ice Cream in front of her. Obviously, they wouldn't be enjoying ice cream together today.

She felt something prick in her eyes. Tears? Kagome crazily shook her head to get a hold of herself.

She threw the brakes up and pedaled off, mumbling, "Rin, your uncle is such a _jerk_."

* * *

:o:O:o:O:o: Back at the Shrine :o:O:o:O:o:

Inuyasha was doing the laundry. Miroku, surprisingly, was in the living room dusting. That left Kagome with the cooking.

As Kagome silently cooked okonomiyaki in the kitchen, she went into deep thought.

She was beginning to miss it all. Inuyasha's smiles. His laughs. Even his flirting.

What exactly was he mad about? This whole thing was making her angry, sad, and worried all at the same time.

Kagome flipped the okonomiyaki over and frowned when she saw that she'd burned the side she just cooked.

Miroku was right. Mood affected everything.

* * *

With her being the only one cooking, Kagome finished the okonomiyaki by dinner time, which left no extra time for her to do any training. As usual, Miroku began piling his plate with his favorite food right when she set it down on the table. However, when he saw that some of them were burnt, he frowned and glanced at Kagome, but didn't say a word when he saw her depressed expression.

Something that cheered her up a little was when Inuyasha sat down beside her for dinner. Then again, he probably only sat next to her because of the fact that they were having okonomiyaki-Miroku would be wolfing everything down in a very scary matter.

It was quiet all throughout dinner. No one talked to anybody. And then it happened.

Miroku had finished his last helping of okonomiyaki. He stood up, stretched, and said, "I'll clean the table today."

With that, he picked up his plates and began taking them to the kitchen. As he left, Kagome caught him winking at her. When she registered what was happening, she gave him a small smile. He'd given her a chance to be alone with Inuyasha.

When she no longer heard Miroku's footsteps, she turned to Inuyasha and the both of them sat in an awkward silence. She took a deep breath.

"Inuyasha," she finally said. "What's bothering you?"

He didn't answer her.

She tried again, "Is this all because of the kiss that Kouga gave me?"

Inuyasha turned his head away.

"Are you jealous of Kouga?" Kagome asked.

That gave her a response.

Inuyasha pounded a fist onto the table and shouted, "I am _not_ jealous of that bastard!"

Kagome fumed. She shouted back, "Then why are you acting this way! You've been avoiding me all week! And it all started after you saw Kouga kissing me!"

Then, for the first time that day, Inuyasha met her eyes with his. Kagome stared into his violet eyes, astonished to see that they didn't hold the usual warm and cheerful look that they always had.

"I don't care…" he said coldly. "…if you were kissed by Kouga."

The words slowly sunk into her head.

SLAP

Inuyasha brought a hand to his slapped cheek and turned his head to look at her with a stunned expression. Kagome felt a lump growing in her throat. The hand that she'd just slapped Inuyasha with quivered.

She stood up and ran to the front door, shoving her feet into her shoes and throwing the door open.

It was raining. The sky was dark and gray with no sign of sunlight.

Kagome ran toward the steps. She wanted to go home. Now. She didn't care if she had to ride her bike in the wet rain to get there. Kagome reached the stairs and hastily ran down the first steps. She slipped and fell. Her body tumbled down the rest of the stairs.

THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP

When her body came to a stop at the foot of the stairs, Kagome painfully rolled onto her back.

It began raining harder.

Kagome burst out crying, the pain inside her now overwhelming. The tears trickled down her face, melding with the rain that was already soaking her. Her shoulders began shuddering as her crying became sobs. She couldn't speak. Her whole body was sore. Her right leg felt fractured and it hurt…a lot.

But, at the moment, nothing hurt as much as her broken heart.

A/N: How sad! **X.X** Wonder what will happen next? **:P**

Please review!


	15. Under the Moonlight

**Shrine of Love**

A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews everyone! **:D** They made me smile!

Chapter 15: Under the Moonlight

It was pitch black. And she heard faint voices.

Kagome's eyes slowly flickered open and squinted against a dim light that filled her vision briefly after. She looked to her right and saw that the light was illuminating from a lamp that sat on a bedside table.

She looked down at the white blankets that covered her and saw that they were made of high quality-and probably expensive-material. The same went for the pillows and mattress sheets she was laying on.

When she held up an arm, she saw that she was in dark blue pajamas.

"Where the heck am I?" she muttered out loud.

Kagome sat up and winced when a jarring pain shot up her right leg. She threw the covers away from her and pulled up her right pant leg, revealing a leg thoroughly bandaged with long strips of cloth.

Then, she heard a rustle at the open doorway and looked up. A middle aged woman dressed in maid clothes stared back at her with wide eyes. Before Kagome could say anything, the lady rushed off shouting, "Master! She's awake!"

Kagome raised an eyebrow. Master? She blinked and then bit her lip when footsteps were heard as someone advanced towards her room. She felt her breath catch in her throat when a familiar teenage male appeared at the door.

"Well, well. Look who decided to finally wake up," Inuyasha said with an amused voice.

Kagome's eye twitched, "Inuyasha?"

"The one and only," he responded smugly, closing the door behind him and walking to her. He was in sweatpants and a plain white t-shirt. Kagome glanced at a digital clock on the table with the lamp.

10:36 PM

She gawked, "What day is it?"

"Still Saturday," Inuyasha said back, settling on the foot of the bed. "You've been knocked out for a couple of hours. Sesshoumaru was coming to pick me up in his car since it was raining and when I was heading down the steps, I found you unconscious."

Everything that happened all swam back to Kagome. Inuyasha being mad at her. Her slapping him and running out of Houshi Shrine. Her falling down the steps and injuring her leg. Her crying her heart out.

She didn't remember anything after that.

"Anyways, are you hungry? I'll go get something for you to eat," Inuyasha said, rising from the bed and heading to the door again.

Kagome broke her train of thought and exclaimed, "Wait! I'm not hungry!"

Inuyasha turned to stare at her with a confused look.

"Could…" Kagome began, looking down at the blankets. "Could you stay with me for a few minutes?"

Inuyasha turned around and faced her completely.

"Why?" he asked stubbornly.

"Because I want to talk to you right now," she answered with a blush.

She heard him sigh, but felt the bed bounce a little when he sat down at the foot of her bed again. For a period of time, there was silence. Then, Kagome took a deep breath.

"Inuyasha…" she began.

He glanced at her, "What?"

"Are you…still mad at me?" she asked softly.

He didn't answer.

Kagome looked up and met his eyes, "You know, you shouldn't be jealous of Kouga. I-"

"I already told you! I'm not jealous of Kouga!" he snapped. "And I have no reason to be!"

"Then how come you seemed so fed up after you saw him kiss me!" she shot back.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and stood up, heading towards the door, "Forget it. I'm out of here."

"_Inuyasha_!" Kagome screamed, clamping her eyes shut. "That kiss meant nothing to me, _okay_? _I didn't feel anything from it_!"

"So?" Inuyasha whipped around and glared at her. "Your point?"

"My point is that I don't like Kouga, you idiot," Kagome snapped. "I didn't kiss him back and I'm not interested in him!"

"Then who _are_ you interested in!" Inuyasha snapped back.

"Oh, for Kami's sake – you!"

Inuyasha stared back at her for a long moment. Then, he turned his back on her and strode off while mumbling, "Yeah right."

"Wait!" Kagome stood up the bed, ignoring the pain in her swelled leg. "Wait, Inuyasha-"

He didn't. Instead, he continued toward the door. Kagome limped after him and gave a small shriek as her right leg twisted and made her fall to the ground. Kagome painfully sat up. She heard the door creak open. He was leaving her. The familiar lump formed in her throat again.

She burst out crying, "Inuyasha…_I love you_! And if someone kissed me, I'd never kiss them back unless that someone was you! So stop acting this way! _It's hurting me_!"

Silence filled the room. Inuyasha's hand stopped turning the doorknob. He turned around slowly and watched Kagome's shoulders shudder as she wept. Wept because of _him_.

Kagome's fingers dug into the soft carpet floor of the room as the tears rolled endlessly down her face. That overwhelming pain was taking over her again. There. She'd said it. She'd confessed all her feelings to him. Now what?

She felt him sit down in front of her. A moment later, she felt his fingers gently wiping away her tears from her face. After her crying quieted down to a sniffle, Inuyasha pulled her into a warm hug.

"I'm sorry," he said. "The last thing I want is to be the cause of any pain of yours."

Kagome clenched his shirt slightly. There was another moment of silence between the both of them.

After awhile, as if he was using the time to gather all his thoughts together, Inuyasha continued, "I admit, I _was_ jealous. And I was mad at you because I thought you kissed Kouga back that day. And now that I found out that you didn't…I feel like a jerk. No, I _am_ a jerk. Aren't I?"

Kagome answered with a muffled voice, "A _conniving_ and _flirtatious_ jerk."

She heard him laugh. And it felt good. She hadn't heard his laughter for a long time.

Their hug lasted for a couple of more minutes and then Inuyasha pulled away so that they were face to face.

"So it's still Saturday," he said.

Kagome nodded.

"And I still haven't given you your Saturday kiss."

Kagome reddened when she realized where he was getting at.

"Except that you deserve so much more than a normal Saturday kiss after what I made you go through, huh?" Inuyasha said thoughtfully. His eyes brightened. "Oh, how about a martial arts session here and now?"

With that said, he pushed her onto the carpet floor. Kagome flinched as her body collided with the ground with a soft thud. When she looked up, she saw Inuyasha positioned over her, his palms laid flat on the ground at the sides of her head, his knees positioned at either side of her waist.

"I'm already trapped!" she protested. "And how the hell is this any better than a 'normal Saturday kiss'!"

Kagome's heart skipped a beat and a tingly sensation swept through her whole body when Inuyasha positioned his face directly over hers, their noses touching.

"I was kidding," he said as he brushed his mouth against hers. "I really meant 'kissing session'."

And then he pressed his mouth against hers completely and kissed her.

* * *

Kagome tossed and turned in the bed. She couldn't sleep. She glanced at the digital clock to her right.

12:47 AM

With a sigh she sat up and turned on the lamp. After sitting there in the bed for more than one minute, she started unwinding the strips of cloth from her right leg to see its condition. It was not a pretty sight.

Kagome quickly rewrapped the cloth around her leg, not caring if it was messy and carefully got out of the room. She tiptoed out into the hallway and saw that it was completely dark and silent. If it weren't for the moonlight shining through the windows, she wouldn't have been able to see where she was going. Kagome quietly made her way down the stairs.

'Kami, is the room I'm staying in on the third floor? There are so many stairs I have to go through!' she cursed in her head.

Somehow, she wandered over to the back of the house. There was a door that led to the backyard. Kagome slowly slid the door open and stepped outside, welcomed with a small breeze. She closed the door behind her and took a few steps forward.

It was a breath-taking view.

Grass and flowers were everywhere. To her side, she saw a deck with a table and a few chairs-good for picnics and resting. But what really caught her attention was the lake. It took up most of the backyard.

She took a step toward it and nearly jumped out of her skin when a voice spoke out from behind her.

"Oi."

Kagome whirled around.

Inuyasha smirked back at her, "Don't _you_ look less handicap today."

"Shut up," she glared at him. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he snorted back. His mouth curled into a smile. "I couldn't sleep. Damn you, wench. I kept thinking about you."

Inuyasha laughed when she looked away, the trace of a blush on her face.

"Usually, I take a little boat ride when I can't sleep," he said. Inuyasha cocked his head. "Which was what I was about to do…care to join me?"

Kagome nodded shyly, "Sure."

* * *

Kagome sat quietly as Inuyasha rowed the small canoe that they sat in toward the center of the lake.

"How're you feeling?" he asked softly after a long moment of silence.

"Better…" she answered. A cold gust of wind blew past them. Kagome shivered in the pajamas she wore. "…and cold."

She blinked when Inuyasha took off the black hooded jacket he was wearing and threw it to her.

"Put it on," he ordered and continued rowing. Kagome slipped it on gratefully. Neither of them spoke during the rest of the ride towards the center of the lake. Inuyasha stopped rowing once they reached their destination. The two teenagers sat in silence.

"I have a question," Kagome spoke out hesitantly. When she saw that Inuyasha was waiting to hear more, she continued. "What was everything that happened from the time you found me unconscious to the time I woke up?"

"Well," Inuyasha said thoughtfully. "I found you, like I said earlier, and I took you home with me when Sesshoumaru came to pick me up. We put you into one of our guest rooms and then we had one of our maids get you a pair of pajamas because you were soaking wet. Then after _that_, we had another maid-who was a nurse-treat your leg…which is only sprained, by the way…and…"

"And?"

"And, well…" Inuyasha looked away. "After that, I sat next to you on the bed until you woke up."

"But you weren't there when I woke up," Kagome pointed out bluntly.

"Well, it was close to bedtime so I left to go change, jeez," he rolled his eyes.

Kagome stared down at her lap, "Oh."

"You know, you had me scared to death," Inuyasha said as he watched her intently. "You had me worried sick."

"Well, you had me _heartbroken_," she shot back. "_You_ made me feel-"

"I already apologized to you about that!" Inuyasha argued. His eyes landed on her leg. "Kagome, did you take off your bandages?"

"Maybe," she said innocently.

"You did, didn't you? They're loose," Inuyasha remarked with an accusing tone.

"They could've gotten loose on their own."

Inuyasha's eyes left her leg to stare directly into her face, "Kag, did you know that you're a terrible liar?"

Kag. He was calling her 'Kag' again. She felt her spirits lighten. Everything was starting to go back to normal between the two of them again.

"Not only that, you also have great legs," she heard Inuyasha add slyly a few moments later.

She began blushing madly and sent her swelled leg towards him for a low kick, "You PERVERT!"

Inuyasha caught it firmly with both hands and pulled lightly on her leg so that she was closer to him.

"Idiot," he muttered as he rested her leg on his shoulder, beginning to rewrap the bandages. Kagome held her breath as he bent down his head, letting it slightly rest against hers. Once he finished, he pulled back with a satisfied smile.

"Done," he said cheerfully. Inuyasha set her leg down from his shoulder and gave it a huge smack.

"OW!" she screeched.

Inuyasha ignored her expression of pain, staring up at the shining moon in the sky instead, "Hmm…still pretty dark…you feeling sleepy?"

"No."

"Me neither," Inuyasha sighed. He turned his attention back on Kagome again. "But to tell you the truth, I'd rather be hanging out with you right now than be sleeping."

Kagome blushed again. She heard Inuyasha give a small chuckle before he set his hands on her waist and set her on his lap, her legs straddling him.

"I didn't answer you yesterday when you said you loved me," Inuyasha began, resting a hand on the back of her neck and burying his face against the curve of her neck. Kagome twitched.

"Why do you always go after my weak spot?" she demanded. Kagome felt him laugh. Her composure relaxed.

"Anyway, you don't have to answer," Kagome responded to his earlier statement. She gripped his shirt when he tenderly pressed his mouth against her weak spot.

"Yeah, that's right," he said, his mouth still on her neck. "I don't have too…I need to."

Inuyasha pulled away and smiled, "I love you too, Kag."

Kagome draped her arms around his neck and giggled when he gave her a small headbutt. She closed her eyes and felt their lips lock. That tingly sensation from earlier went through her again.

"…and I always will love you," Inuyasha said breathlessly as he pulled away briefly after.

"Mm hm…" Kagome mumbled. The two kissed again. Inuyasha's arms slowly found their way around her waist and pressed her body against his as close as possible. Kagome tilted her head to deepen the kiss they had going and ran her fingers through his silky hair.

She'd been waiting for this for a long time…and apparently, Inuyasha had too. But the long wait had been worth it.

'We're finally together,' Kagome thought as small tears of happiness filled her eyes.

After a few minutes, the two broke the long kiss for air.

"Wow," was all Inuyasha said after they caught their breaths.

"Wow," Kagome agreed.

Inuyasha tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "Now, I have a question for _you_."

"What?"

"What exactly did that bastard Kouga do to you that day?"

"He French kissed me."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, "He _French kissed_ you? Now I really do have to kill him."

"_Or_ you can 'get even' with him another way."

"Which would be?"

"Well…you could French kiss me right now."

And so he did.

* * *

Inuyasha gave Kagome a tour of the house early in the morning-with a few detours of course, when he pulled her into some rooms, locked the door behind them, and began making out with her for a minute or two.

"How many rooms do you have?" Kagome asked as they walked along a hallway in the house hand-in-hand.

"A lot," Inuyasha grinned. They stopped in front of the next door. Kagome glanced up at Inuyasha when he let go of her hand suddenly.

"This…was my parents' bedroom," he said quietly.

"Well, we don't have to go in if you don't want to," Kagome said.

"No, we're going in. I want to show you something."

Inuyasha pushed the door open and they both stepped inside. Kagome looked around in awe. This was definitely the master bedroom. It was _enormous_. She saw a huge bed with layers of blankets on top and then spotted an open door that led to a bathroom, which was bigger than her bedroom at home. As they walked farther into the room, Kagome noticed another door that led into a walk-through closet.

"Kami, how rich are you?" Kagome asked, strolling toward the huge windows on the other side of the room. This room had a gorgeous view.

"Very," she heard Inuyasha say behind her. Kagome heard the opening and closing of drawers and turned around to see what the fuss was.

"Ah, found it," Inuyasha said. He held out a wooden flute to her. As Kagome held it cautiously in her hands and fingered the intricate designs on it, he said. "It belonged to my mom."

Kagome stopped surveying the flute and looked up, "This was your mom's?"

Inuyasha nodded solemnly, "She played it a lot when I was a kid."

Kagome felt her mouth lift into a small smile. She looked down at the flute again, "I used to play the flute a lot when _I_ was a kid. My dad taught me how to play it since I was little. But then…I stopped playing when I was ten."

"Why?"

"Because," Kagome's eyes started to have a distant look in them. "My dad died that year. I couldn't bring myself to play the flute again for about five years after that."

She heard Inuyasha give a low-whistle.

"What?" she asked.

"That's longer than how long I stopped drawing," Inuyasha sighed as he sat down on the carpet floor. Kagome sat down beside him.

"What do you mean?" she asked in confusion.

"Well, my dad taught me drawing since I was a kid," Inuyasha said, picking at the carpet. "And then, when I was 11, my parents died in a car accident."

Kagome nearly dropped the flute she held, "Are you serious? Who took care of you after that?"

"Relatives supported me and Sesshoumaru…who was only 15 at the time," Inuyasha said grimly. "Anyway, I stopped drawing for three years after that accident happened."

There was a moment of silence in the room.

"So what made you want to start drawing again?" Kagome asked quietly.

Inuyasha shrugged, "I just felt like picking up on it again."

"Hm. For my case, my mom said she missed hearing me play so she made me start playing again. But I don't really mind that she did."

Kagome looked at the flute in her hand for a few seconds more before holding it out toward Inuyasha for him to take back. She blinked in surprise when he said, "Keep it."

"W-what?" she stuttered.

"I said keep it," he answered, his eyes fixed on hers. "I want you to have it. And I'm sure my mom would've wanted the same thing instead of having the flute gather layers of dust in a drawer."

"Oh," Kagome lowered her hand hesitantly. "Well…thank you. I'm sure my mom would love to see this when I get home."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow when she suddenly let out a gasp.

"Oh my god!" Kagome shrieked. "I didn't tell my mom I'm here at your house! She must be worried sick!"

"Well, there's a phone in the kitchen on the first floor…" Inuyasha said slowly.

She scrambled up onto her feet and ran out of the room, flute in hand.

"Phone! I need a phone!" Inuyasha heard her voice echoing in the hallway.

He plopped down onto his back on the carpet. After Kagome's voice was no longer within hearing distance, he smiled to himself.

"Maybe I should've told her that there was a phone in the room next door too."

* * *

"That was cruel."

"It was funny."

Kagome glared across the canoe at Inuyasha. She was back in her regular clothes that she'd worn the day before, which had been kindly washed for her overnight by one of the maids in the house. Inuyasha had changed into jeans and a plain t-shirt.

"You made me run down _who knows how many_ flights of stairs _with a sprained leg_ to use the phone in the kitchen when there was a phone in the room next to the one we were in!" she yelled. "How is that funny!"

"Use your indoor voice, would you?"

"Why? We're _outside_!"

"Because Rin and Shippou are on the deck over there," Inuyasha answered, jabbing a thumb in that direction. Kagome turned her head and, sure enough, saw Rin and Shippou on the deck. They were staring at her and Inuyasha.

"Uncle Inuyasha, how come you and Kagome fight a lot?" Shippou asked loudly with a curious expression on his face.

Inuyasha glanced at Kagome with an amused look before facing toward Shippou's direction.

"It's because we love each other," he replied with a cheerful voice. Kagome rolled her eyes.

Rin was squealing, "I knew it! I knew you two would end up being boyfriend and girlfriend! Remember? I said it that day when you took Kagome to the ice cream shop with you for the first time!"

"Yeah, I remember," Inuyasha said thoughtfully. "I also remember Kagome mentioning one time that she had no intention of being my lover because I'm a 'dumb, flirtatious jerk'…but she fell for my charm anyway. Isn't that right, Kag?"

When Kagome reddened, he draped his arm around her with a small laugh and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"So what exactly are you two doing out here?" Inuyasha asked a moment later.

"Oh," said Rin, a dawning look on her face. "I almost forgot. Fluffy told me to tell you two that breakfast is ready."

"Fluffy?" Kagome asked, turning to Inuyasha with a questioning look.

"Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha explained. "He's technically the father of Rin and Shippou now, but he doesn't want to be called 'Dad' since it makes him feel old, so he lets Rin and Shippou use a nickname instead...which happened to be 'Fluffy'."

"Fluffy because of his fluffy hair!" Rin piped up. A hand settled down on her head. She looked up. Sesshoumaru's face looked back down at her. Speak of the devil.

"Rin, I'd appreciate it if you didn't spread my nickname around," he said.

As Rin gave a nervous laugh, Sesshoumaru's eyes flickered over to Inuyasha and Kagome. "Breakfast is ready, if Rin hasn't told you yet. And I advise the both of you to eat as soon as possible because the food is getting cold."

"Thank you," Kagome called out as Sesshoumaru turned and headed back into the house, Rin and Shippou trailing after him. She turned to Inuyasha beside her and saw him grinning. "What?"

"I'm not hungry," he answered. "I had my breakfast at night."

When Inuyasha saw that she wore a confused look, he frowned, "You forgot what happened last night already?"

After a second, Kagome finally realized what he meant. She blushed.

Inuyasha took a few strands of her hair into his hand and kissed them, "You want me to remind you?"

"No, I remember," Kagome said, turning her blushing face away. When she felt one of his hands settle behind the back of her head, she slowly turned her head to face him again and saw that his face was so close that she felt his breath tickling her mouth. "Inuyasha, are you trying to tempt me?"

"Maybe..."

They both closed their eyes and leaned forward.

"Ahem," someone coughed loudly from the edge of the lake. Kagome's eyes flew open and she pushed herself away from Inuyasha before they could kiss. "Oh…hi, Rin!"

But Rin didn't say anything back. She was laughing.

Kagome had pushed Inuyasha so hard that he'd fallen into the water.

* * *

Breakfast was wonderful.

Kagome sat across from Shippou and Rin, who were both endlessly chatting to her. Sesshoumaru sat at the head of the table and spent most of his breakfast reading the newspaper. However, when he'd heard what happened to Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru laughed for a good amount of time. It was fifteen minutes into breakfast when Inuyasha walked into the dining room, wiping his hair with a towel, newly dressed in cargo pants and another t-shirt, his face set in a scowl.

After breakfast, Rin and Shippou went outside in the backyard to play on the deck and Sesshoumaru went into his office to do some paperwork. Meanwhile, Inuyasha and Kagome climbed onto the canoe and headed into the middle of the lake once again where Inuyasha spent his time sketching and Kagome passed time by playing the new flute he'd given her. All this happened until it was time for lunch.

Then, at 6 o' clock, Kagome said goodbye to everybody and thanked them for their hospitality before following Inuyasha out the front door. They both climbed onto his motorcycle and when Kagome secured her arms around his waist, they rode off.

It took longer to get to Higurashi Shrine when coming from Inuyasha's house than it did from Houshi Shrine, but if that meant she could spend more time with Inuyasha, she didn't mind at all. Eventually, Higurashi Shrine came into view. Inuyasha slowed to a stop in front of the shrine stairs and they got off his motorcycle.

And then, they began the treacherous trip up the stairs…treacherous for her at least. Inuyasha practically dragged her up to the very top. When they were standing on the doorstep, Kagome bent over, trying to catch her breath. After a few moments, she stood up straight and glared at Inuyasha in the eye.

"You _did_ remember that I have a sprained leg when we were heading up the stairs, right?" she demanded.

"It was payback for pushing me into the lake earlier today," he replied.

"That was an accident!" Kagome retorted. "I didn't mean-"

Inuyasha bent down and kissed her, cutting her off. When he pulled away a second later, Kagome stood wordlessly in front of him. When she remembered what she was saying before, she opened her mouth and started again, "If you think a small little kiss could make up for what you did-"

He cut her off again with another kiss. This time-in spite of herself-she kissed back. Their kiss lasted so long that by the time they pulled away, they were both breathing heavily.

"Forgive me now?" Inuyasha asked as he laughed, still a little breathless. Kagome reluctantly nodded.

He took her hands in his, holding them firmly, and smiled, "I love you."

Kagome gave his hands a small squeeze back, "I love you too."

Inuyasha kissed her on the forehead, "I'll see you tomorrow at school."

With that said, he made his way back down the shrine stairs. Kagome stood on the doorstep, watching him until he rode away on his motorcycle and out of sight. She sighed and set her fingers on the door handle.

Kagome barely opened the door when her mom jumped at her and clobbered her with a bear hug.

"I knew you two would get together!"

A/N: Very happy chapter, compared to the previous one. **:P**

And finally, some Inu/Kag fluff. **:D**

Please review!


	16. The One He Truly Loves

**Shrine of Love**

A/N: Sorry for the long update. **XD**

Chapter 16: The One He Truly Loves

On Monday morning, Kagome strolled through the school gates while humming to herself.

It was almost the end of November. Soon, they would all get to have a few weeks off for Christmas and New Year's.

Kagome was so caught up in her thoughts that she almost didn't hear a voice calling out her name.

"_Higurashi._"

Kagome stopped in her tracks and looked around to see who it could possibly be. To her surprise, she found herself looking at Kikyo a moment later.

"So you're not only an idiot, but you're _deaf_ too," Kikyo sneered.

"What do you want?" Kagome snarled back. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her. Now that she thought about it, Kikyo hadn't been bothering her at all ever since she'd joined up for lessons at Onigumo Shrine. And now that she was standing right in front of her, Kagome noticed that something was different about Kikyo-her face seemed to have a tired and weary look to it.

The words Kikyo said next snapped Kagome back into reality.

"I want you and me to have a fight," Kikyo said shortly. "Here. Now."

Kagome stared at her, "Have you learned nothing from Inuyasha?"

"Well, he's not my sensei anymore!" Kikyo snapped. "Naraku is! And I never liked that junk about 'not fighting outside the dojo' that Inuyasha ordered us to obey! With Naraku, you don't have to follow rules like that!"

"Martial arts is meant for self-defense," Kagome said coldly. "And if you still don't know that by now, you should start at the beginner level again."

Kikyo gave her an icy look.

"You're probably the only student at Onigumo Shrine, aren't you?" Kagome smirked.

"Actually, Kagura and Kanna have joined too," Kikyo sniffed. After that, Kagome caught her mumbling something about Yura being a coward.

"Well," Kagome said later, interrupting Kikyo's mutterings. "If you want a fight, then you'll have to attack first. I'm not fighting unless it's for self-defense reasons."

That seemed to satisfy Kikyo enough.

"Fine by me," Kikyo said. "Let's begin now, shall we? And see which shrine teaches martial arts the best."

With that said, Kikyo went into a stance that Kagome had never seen before in her life. Kagome was so surprised that she hadn't gotten into a stance herself by the time Kikyo launched the first attack.

Luckily, she gathered all her thoughts together just in time to block a punch. And _boy_, was the collision with her arm and Kikyo's fist painful. Since when did Kikyo punch as hard as this?

Kikyo apparently didn't want to waste time. After the blocked punch, she immediately used her other hand and swiped it hard into Kagome's leg.

'Jeez!' Kagome gritted through her teeth. 'Kikyo isn't even giving me enough time to fight back!'

She performed a back flip and managed to strike Kikyo's jaw in an upward kick. Kikyo staggered back a few feet. Then, she went into another unknown stance.

"What the hell-" Kagome was caught off guard when Kikyo flipped into the air and landed on her shoulders, one foot on either side. With a rapid movement, Kikyo's feet stomped hard one at a time into Kagome's shoulders over and over again. A moment later, Kagome found herself collapsing face down onto the ground. She let out a cry of pain as Kikyo's foot grinded into the middle of her back seconds later.

There was a period of silence.

"I can't believe it," Kikyo finally whispered, laughing shakily. "I…beat Higurashi."

Her laughing grew louder. Kagome flinched when Kikyo dug her foot deeper into her back.

"Say, Higurashi," she heard Kikyo cackle with triumph. "Ever heard of acupressure?"

Acupressure. The striking of pressure points. The blood drained from Kagome's face. She began squirming.

"Hm, looks like you do," Kikyo said with a sly voice, her foot still pinning Kagome down to the ground. "Well, then you should know that pressing pressure points can do a lot of good things. For example, it can relieve pain or even 'heal'. Or, it can do bad things…"

Kagome's breath caught in her throat when she felt Kikyo's fingers positioning at the root of her neck.

"…like make a person become unconscious," Kikyo finished. "And guess what? We're learning it at Onigumo Shrine."

Kagome's heartbeat quickened when Kikyo's fingers started pressing against her skin. She opened her mouth to let out a scream for help, but she was in so much shock that she'd lost her voice.

"OI!"

Kagome heard Kikyo scream and felt her weight being lifted off her back a moment later. Kagome sat up painfully and saw that someone was standing between her and Kikyo, who was lying on the ground a few yards away.

"What do you think you're doing?" Inuyasha said to Kikyo with a deadly voice.

"Just having a little match," Kikyo said innocently. "It's nothing to be concerned about."

"A match outside of a dojo?" Inuyasha snapped back. "Have you learned _nothing_ from me?"

"Well, you're not my teacher anymore, so I don't have to necessarily follow your rules," Kikyo sniffed. She stiffened as a hand slammed down onto her shoulder from behind.

"That's quite enough, Kikyo," Naraku's voice floated through the air. "Go to class."

"I just wanted to try out my new moves," Kikyo complained. But she followed his orders and walked through the rest of the campus grounds toward the school entrance doors.

Naraku stared after her before turning back to Inuyasha and Kagome.

"I humbly apologize," he said. "Please forgive Kikyo's actions."

"I will if you tell her to stop fighting out of dojo grounds," Inuyasha glared.

"I'll tell her that," Naraku said as he slightly bowed his head.

As Naraku walked off after Kikyo, Inuyasha turned around and looked down at Kagome.

"You okay?" he asked softly, holding out a hand. Kagome nodded and gripped his offered hand as he pulled her up onto her feet.

"You came just in time," she said as she brushed herself off. "Kikyo was about to do some acupressure on me."

"Yeah, I saw," Inuyasha frowned. "You were a damsel in distress."

"I can defend myself, you know," Kagome said as she swiftly turned on him, jabbing an index finger into his chest.

"Which leads to the question that I now have in mind: did you fight back?" Inuyasha said, tilting his head.

"Well, for your information, I _did_," Kagome replied. "Because I was _defending_ myself."

He smiled in amusement and set his hands on her waist.

"Is that the tone you should use against someone who just saved you?" he asked.

"Yes," Kagome answered stubbornly, but slid her arms around his neck.

"I love you," he mumbled as he brushed his lips against hers.

"You already know my answer to that."

Kagome felt Inuyasha smile against her mouth.

"Enlighten me," he murmured.

They both closed their eyes and kissed.

Neither of the two saw that Naraku had stopped walking in mid-step and was glancing at them over his shoulder with a menacing smile on his face.

* * *

All day, Inuyasha and Kagome kept up their usual arguments, which showed that they were both over the whole "Kouga kissing Kagome issue", but helped hide the fact that they were now a couple from Miroku and Sango.

"We've perfected the kissing scene, dancing scene, and most of the other scenes in the play," Kagome said thoughtfully as they left drama class. "All we really need to work on next are the action scenes and the parts in the middle of the play, but we won't be doing the action scenes until after winter break-"

"Jeez. More romance scenes? I've had enough of those," Inuyasha complained. "And I've definitely grown tired of working with you."

"You complain about everything," Kagome rolled her eyes.

"_And_," Miroku interrupted. He slung an arm around Inuyasha's neck and squeezed it threateningly. "We don't care if you're tired of working with Kagome. If you mess up our chance of winning best play, you can be sure that you'll be paying big time to the rest of the class…and first of all, me."

"Miroku Houshi, I am _not_ scared of you," Inuyasha retorted. "And you know I can beat you up before you even pull one move on me."

"I can too!" Sango piped up. "Miroku's an insult to all martial arts teachers in the world!"

Miroku withdrew his hold from Inuyasha's neck and turned to face Sango with a frown on his face.

"Well, aren't _you_ a supportive girlfriend," he remarked with sarcasm. He held his fingers in front of her and began wiggling them. "And because you are, I'll award you with a tickle attack."

Sango shrieked and started bolting down the hallway. Miroku dashed after her as Inuyasha and Kagome began laughing.

After a few minutes, Kagome crossed her arms over her chest and looked Inuyasha directly in the eye, "Inuyasha, do you _really_ grow tired of working with me?"

"No. I was kidding earlier," he answered with a smug smile. "How about you? Do _you_ get tired of working with me?"

Inuyasha blinked as she stepped closer to him and slid her arms around his neck. Then, she brought her face up to his so that her breath was tingling against his mouth…but before he could lean down and kiss her, Kagome pulled away and let her arms drop back down.

"To find out the answer, you'll have to catch me first," she laughed. Kagome turned her back on him and ran off down the hallway in the same direction Miroku and Sango had gone.

Inuyasha sprinted after her with a small smile on his face, 'I can't believe it…Kagome just _flirted_ with me.'

* * *

It was lunch.

As usual, Inuyasha was busy sketching as he sat on a branch of the oak tree he and his friends always spent lunch time at. Below him, Sango, Miroku, and Kagome were having a deep conversation about drama class.

Inuyasha sighed and set his pencil down, leaning back against the tree's trunk.

"BOO!"

Inuyasha jumped and hastily caught his pencil and sketchpad before they could fall off his lap. He turned his head and saw Kagome standing on a branch near his, laughing her head off.

"I did it!" she said happily. "You didn't detect me!"

"Yeah, but you scared the hell out of me," Inuyasha snapped.

"Well, that's how I feel every time _you_ do it to _me_," Kagome snapped back.

They both heard Miroku and Sango sigh below them. Apparently, the couple thought that their best friends were getting into another daily argument. Inuyasha shot a secretive smile at Kagome.

He motioned her to climb onto his branch. 'Come here,' he mouthed. Kagome looked at him in confusion, but obediently followed his order.

When Kagome settled down beside him, Inuyasha set his hands on her waist and said, "I think…it's about time we tell them that we're a couple now."

Kagome blinked, "Alright. I'll go tell them right now then."

She made a move to get off the branch, but Inuyasha kept his hands firmly on her.

"There's a faster way to tell them," he said. When, she still showed no sign of understanding, Inuyasha bent down and kissed her. He knew Kagome got his message when she draped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. As he suspected would happen, Miroku and Sango became curious about the sudden quietness and looked up.

"Kami!" Miroku exclaimed loudly in disbelief, Sango letting out a gasp beside him. "You two hooked up!"

Inuyasha and Kagome broke their kiss and smiled at each other before Kagome looked down at the stunned couple and said, "Actually, Inuyasha and I have been together since Saturday."

Miroku and Sango's mouths dropped open. Miroku was the first to recover from the shock.

"But when on Saturday?" he asked, confused. "If I'm correct, you two weren't on the best of terms that whole day."

"We made up that night," Inuyasha answered. When he saw Miroku's mouth drop open again, he scowled. "Get your head out of the gutter. Kagome and I didn't do anything!"

But Miroku was grinning, "I _knew_ you two were destined to be together. Didn't I, Sango?"

Sango nodded, "It was only a matter of time. The only surprising thing about it is that you two didn't get together before Miroku and I did."

"Hey," Miroku suddenly said as he realized something. He looked up at his best friend and cousin with a suspicious expression on his face. "If you two were together since Saturday…_you two were purposely getting into arguments to tick me off all day today_!"

"Uh oh, Miroku's found out our secret," Inuyasha smirked. He watched in amusement as Miroku began climbing up the tree.

"You're going to pay _big_ time, _best_ friend," Miroku growled. "Same goes with you, _dear_ cousin."

Kagome stared. Man, was Miroku a fast tree climber. One moment, he was at the bottom of the tree, and the next, he was a yard away from her and Inuyasha. She heard Sango laughing beneath them.

"Looks like Miroku's trapped you two!" she called out.

Sango was right. Kagome turned to Inuyasha with a questioning look on her face. Inuyasha was still watching Miroku. But then, his violet eyes clashed eyes with hers and Kagome saw that he was grinning. Right when Miroku was a foot away from them, Inuyasha suddenly took her into his arms bridal-style and jumped down from the branch they were on.

Kagome let out a shriek and hung onto him tightly, a little terrified by his recklessness, but knew that as long as she was with him, he'd let nothing happen to her. Inuyasha landed perfectly on his feet once they reached the ground and then set Kagome onto her own feet.

Her heart was still beating rapidly from the jump. Kagome whirled and glared at Inuyasha, "You could've at least warned me-"

He covered her mouth with his and then pulled away briefly after.

"You can yell at me later," Inuyasha said with laughter in his eyes. "Right now, we need to escape from one of your cousin's 'rage attacks'."

As if to prove his point, Miroku let out a loud curse at that moment.

Inuyasha ran off with a laugh, pulling Kagome along with him.

"You can run, but you can't hide!" Miroku shouted, sliding back down the tree's trunk inch by inch while Sango burst into another round of laughter. "And Sango, who's side are you on! Go chase after them for me!"

But that only made his girlfriend laugh harder. Miroku saw Inuyasha and Kagome turn a corner and disappear from view. He sighed.

"Wow, I have such _caring _friends."

* * *

"Am I doing this right?"

Kouga glanced at the girl's fist and nodded. Then, deciding that he needed fresh air, he headed out the door to stand outside for awhile.

It was club time, probably his only favorite thing about school…but then how come he felt so gloomy right now?

He grimaced as the reason occurred to him for the 100th time that day.

It was during lunch when his day started going downhill. He was looking all over the school campus for Kagome so that he could apologize to her for the forced kiss days ago. He was about to give up and wait until training at Houshi Shrine to catch her, but then he'd found her.

And she wasn't alone. She was with _Inuyasha_.

He recalled seeing them backed against a wall. Probably hiding from someone. And the next thing he knew, he saw his rival slip his arms around Kagome…saw him kiss her on the mouth.

Kouga's hands clenched into fists, 'I would've interfered too if I hadn't…if I hadn't…'

If he hadn't seen Kagome kiss Inuyasha back. And the happy look she had on her face. A happy look that she didn't have when Kouga had kissed her.

"Is something bothering you?" a voice behind him suddenly said.

Kouga jumped and whirled around. Ayame, her emerald eyes filled with concern, stared back at him.

"You seem a little down today," she frowned.

"It's nothing," he grumbled back. The look she gave him next told him that she didn't believe him. He added, "And it's none of your damn concern."

Ayame was quiet for a long time. Kouga looked up and his breath caught in his throat when he saw that her eyes were filling up with tears.

He panicked, "Hey, what's with-"

"Kami! I was only worried about you!" Ayame cut him off, her mouth quivering. "You're like this every time! Whenever I get worried about you and try to help, you act like a _jerk_!"

She angrily wiped her tears away before continuing, "See if I care anymore!"

With that said, Ayame turned and stormed back inside the room where the martial arts club was.

And Kouga, who thought he couldn't feel any worse, felt more depressed than ever.

* * *

Kagome smiled as her boyfriend and cousin bickered endlessly in front of her during the walk to Houshi Shrine. Apparently, Miroku blamed Inuyasha for giving her "bad influence". Beside her, Sango was giggling, obviously entertained by the argument between the two males.

It was like any other walk to Houshi Shrine. But there was one difference.

Ayame and Kouga, who were usually busy talking about martial arts, were quietly walking behind her and Sango.

Kagome glimpsed behind her to look at the pair. Kagome never thought she'd ever see Ayame in such a mood. Her friend was always so cheerful that she could brighten up a whole room of people. Right now, her green eyes had a sad look to them, her high pigtails seeming to hang limply instead of having the usual bouncy look. Kouga wore a similar expression on his face…although, he looked more depressed than sad.

'I wonder if they got into a fight,' Kagome thought as the group reached the steps of Houshi Shrine. They began climbing the stairs.

"Hey, Ayame," Kagome heard Sango say. "You're awfully quiet today. Is something wrong?"

Kagome's mouth curled into a small smile. So she wasn't the only one who had noticed Ayame's change of behavior.

"I'm fine," Ayame said softly, her voice barely audible. She brushed past the group and headed up the stairs with a quicker pace, leaving everyone else behind.

"What's with her?" Miroku asked.

Inuyasha and Sango shrugged.

Kagome, on the other hand, saw Kouga turn his head away.

* * *

Kagome was following Sango to the girls' changing room when she heard someone call out her name.

"Kagome."

She turned. When she saw Kouga standing before her, she blinked.

"Kouga," she said in surprise. "Uh…hi."

Kagome noticed that he was avoiding her eyes. Kouga cleared his throat and then said, "About the kiss last week…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have forced myself on you."

Kagome gave a small smile, "It's okay. I'm over it."

Kouga continued in a somewhat pained voice, "And congratulations on getting together with Inuyasha."

Kagome blushed, "How'd you find out?"

"I saw you two kissing at lunch."

As Kagome reddened even more, he gave a grim laugh, "When I first transferred to Shikon no Tama High…I had a feeling you two would hook up someday when I saw him being possessive over you..."

Kouga forced a smile, "And it looks like I was right."

For a period of time, the two of them stood in an awkward silence. Then, Kagome spoke out softly, "I like you, Kouga. Just not in _that_ way."

Another moment of silence passed.

Kouga took a deep breath and finally met Kagome's eyes with his, "Well, then…I guess I'll just have to settle with us being friends."

He held out a hand. Kagome clasped it with one of her own and shook it.

"By the way, I made Inuyasha swear not to hurt you for kissing me," Kagome laughed. "But just to be safe, you might want to stay clear from him for awhile."

"I'll keep that in mind, but I'm pretty sure _he'd_ be the one who gets hurt," Kouga rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I have to go change before training starts. So I'll see you later."

He began heading toward the boys' changing room.

"One more thing, Kouga," Kagome called out. "You might not know it, but there's someone who's in love with you."

Kouga halted and slowly faced her again, "Who?"

But Kagome just gave him a smile and said, "You'll have to find that out by yourself, but I'll give you a clue…she's right under your nose."

* * *

By the time Kagome had finished changing into her training clothes, Sango had been long gone from the changing rooms. Kagome walked to the intermediates' training room and was surprised to see that it was empty.

"Kagome!"

Was that Sango she just heard? Kagome turned around and saw her best friend, Miroku, and Inuyasha standing on the grass near the pond.

"Come here!" Sango said cheerfully. "We're combining the advance and intermediate class today!"

Kagome's eyes lit up, "Really? That sounds like fun."

When she joined her three friends, Inuyasha came up behind her and lightly tugged on a few strands of her hair.

"By the way, you're late," he said.

"Kami, Inuyasha. You're late all the time and I can't be late just _once_!" Kagome exclaimed in frustration.

"I'm not late all the time," Inuyasha said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, you are!" Kagome retorted.

"Alright, enough you two. We've all been late at least once," Miroku cut in. He shook his head and sighed. "It's hard to believe you two are a couple when you argue so much like this."

"Everything's still the same between Kagome and me," Inuyasha shrugged. "The only thing different is that I can be flirtier and kiss her anytime I want now."

"What do you mean _kiss me anytime you want_?" Kagome glared. "What am I? Your _toy_?"

Inuyasha gave her a smug smile, "No…I believe you're my girlfriend."

Kagome blushed deeply when she realized he had a point. She turned away, "Even if I am, you can't kiss me whenever you want to."

"Why? We both know you enjoy it."

Miroku and Sango laughed. They had to admit, although the arguments between their best friends were annoying, they were pretty entertaining too.

"Alright, you two," Miroku said, finally managing to calm down. "We've wasted enough time already. We need to get started with training. Anyway, Sango and I were training one day and then I came up with a great idea-"

"You mean _I_ came up with a great idea," Sango interrupted, jabbing an elbow into Miroku's side. As he yelped with pain, she continued. "I asked Miroku if we could have a training day where we could do tag-team fighting."

"And since I love you, dear Sango," Miroku added. "I went to Inuyasha and asked if he and Kagome could have training with us today."

Sango rolled her eyes, but a faint blush appeared on her cheeks, "Can we just get started please?"

So the four friends split. Sango and Miroku stood on one end of the grassy area while Inuyasha and Kagome stood several yards away across from them.

"We're going to lose," Kagome said solemnly. "I'm only at the intermediate level. Miroku and Sango are both advanced fighters."

"Have some confidence in yourself," Inuyasha encouraged her. "And just because you're in the intermediate class, it doesn't mean that you're a bad fighter. You pack pretty solid punches, you know."

He gave her a peck on the cheek and said, "Now give me a smile and say 'I can do this'."

Kagome felt herself smile. She couldn't help it.

"I can do this," she said.

"Are you two ready?" Miroku called out. When Inuyasha and Kagome gave him a nod, he continued. "Alright, the rules are that only one person from each side is allowed to fight at a time and if a person gets tired or can't fight anymore, they can switch with their partner. When both players of one side can't fight anymore, the other side wins. Any questions?"

When no one spoke out, Miroku nudged Sango forward into the fighting grounds.

"Hm, so Sango's going first," Inuyasha observed. He turned to Kagome. "So how about you go in first too?"

Kagome merely nodded and walked onto the fighting grounds, stopping a yard away from Sango.

"Advance warning: just because you're my best friend doesn't mean I'll go easy on you in this match," Sango said with a sly look.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Kagome answered.

"BEGIN!" Miroku shouted.

Sango immediately held back her arm and brought her fist forward a second later, making contact with Kagome's cheek.

Kagome stumbled back a few feet.

'Guess I'm not the only one who packs a solid punch,' she thought as she rubbed her throbbing cheek. She quickly went into a defensive stance when Sango's foot lashed out. An idea suddenly popped into Kagome's head.

'Don't know if it'll work, but it's worth a shot…'

Kagome caught onto Sango's outstretched leg and held firmly onto it as she boosted herself up into the air and delivered a solid kick to Sango's head. It was the same move Inuyasha had done to Kouga during their first match.

"Nice one!" she heard Inuyasha exclaim.

Kagome shot him a smile and turned her attention back on Sango, feeling the adrenaline pumping through her veins.

"That was a good attack," Sango complimented. She cracked her knuckles and went into a stance. "Play time's over."

She bolted forward. Right when Kagome launched a punch, Sango suddenly grabbed hold of her outstretched arm and ducked under it. Then, after a swift twirl, Kagome felt all the air come out of her lungs when Sango jammed her foot into her stomach.

"Kagome, switch with me!" she heard Inuyasha shout. Kagome freed herself from Sango's grasp and managed to do several back flips. When she landed on the resting spot where Inuyasha was waiting, she saw that he was already in midair, coming down on Sango with a flying kick.

'He certainly doesn't waste any time, does he?' Kagome thought. She watched as Inuyasha flipped over Sango and landed behind her, swinging a roundhouse kick into her back and knocking her to the floor…she was down for good. Miroku quickly switched with his worn out girlfriend.

"Remember when you said that you could beat me up before I even pull one move on you?" Miroku asked Inuyasha.

His best friend smirked, "Yup."

"Let's see if it's true," Miroku grinned.

Kagome and Sango watched with interest. They'd never seen the two males fight each other before until now.

Miroku started off the match by pulling off a series of good punches. One punch successfully made contact with Inuyasha's shoulder. Inuyasha recovered quickly and countered with a solid kick in Miroku's chin.

Since the two males had about the same experience, the match lasted awhile. However, Kagome was caught off guard when Inuyasha was suddenly thrown onto the ground beside her by a kick from Miroku.

"Crap, I twisted my ankle," he muttered. "I guess I'm down."

With a painful look, he got onto his knees.

"Step onto my hands," Inuyasha ordered. Kagome blinked at him, but reluctantly did so. Before she could ask what he was doing, Inuyasha boosted her high up into the air.

"It's up to you, Kag!" he shouted up at her.

Kagome turned her attention to her cousin, who was readying himself for her attack.

'Come to think of it, I've never faced Miroku in a match before…' she bit her lip. Kagome felt the wind blow through her hair as her body plunged through the air, down towards Miroku. A plan popped into her head. She nudged her body forward so that she began falling headfirst.

Her shift of position seemed to confuse Miroku. When her hands made contact with his shoulders, she clamped down hard on them to steady her body into a handstand. Miroku caught onto what she was doing, but he'd reacted too late. Before her cousin could do anything, she swung her body forward and jammed her foot into his chest.

'Yes!' Kagome smiled triumphantly.

Miroku staggered back. Kagome flipped forward and planted her hands on the ground as she pulled her body up into another handstand. As Miroku looked up, she balanced her body onto her left hand and swung her whole body forward, sending her right foot into Miroku's jaw.

"Inuyasha's 360-degree kick," Miroku smiled after he recovered. "Impressive. But alas, dear cousin, the match must come to an end."

With that said, he swung his leg down on her. Kagome grimaced as her body collided with the ground. She pushed herself from the floor and saw that Miroku had done several back flips and was now speeding toward her.

Her eyes widened, "What the-"

She felt a hard jab in the stomach as he ran past her. For the second time that day, all the wind flew out of her lungs for a moment. Kagome collapsed onto the ground.

"Match over!" Inuyasha yelled. "Miroku's side wins."

Sango squealed and-despite being sore-ran over to Miroku, giving him a bear hug and following it up with a long kiss. Kagome took a few breaths before she stood up and stiffly made her way back to her waiting boyfriend.

"I'm proud of you," Inuyasha grinned. "You're becoming a fine martial artist."

"Yeah, but we lost the match," Kagome said gloomily. She felt his hands frame her face.

"It doesn't matter if we lost the match. I'm proud of you anyway," Inuyasha murmured as he rested his forehead against hers. "You gave it your best."

The two were silent for awhile before Kagome spoke, "I almost beat Miroku."

"Mm hm."

"And you and Miroku have about the same level of experience…so does that mean that I have a chance of beating you?"

Inuyasha pressed his mouth against the curve of her neck. Kagome's knees buckled, but Inuyasha caught her around the waist with a laugh.

"Not a chance…because unlike Miroku, I know your weak spot."

* * *

Kouga had to admit…training was a little awkward today.

Ayame was still holding a grudge and she refused to make eye contact with him. Not only that, she barely spoke – and that scared him most of all.

'She's the most talkative person I know,' Kouga thought.

He hated that she was like this. And for some reason, all this made something inside his chest hurt too. He couldn't take it anymore.

So, after training, and after Rin and Shippou ran out the door squealing loudly like usual, Kouga caught onto Ayame's arm before she could head out.

"Ayame, I need to talk to you," he said.

She turned her body to face his, but her face was still downcast.

"What's there to talk about?" she asked icily.

Kouga flinched at her tone. He swallowed, "There's plenty to talk about."

In fact, now that he thought about it, there was always something to talk about when he was with her.

"But right now, I want to talk about…what happened at school today," he said slowly. Ayame stiffened.

"Yeah? Well, I _don't_," she said sharply, turning her back on him. "I'm not talking to you anymore. Now if you excuse me, I have to go change."

Kouga grabbed hold of her sleeve to stop her and spun her around to make her face him again, "Damn it! Would you let go of this grudge already-"

He stopped when Ayame locked eyes with his. She was crying.

"You're an _idiot_!" she screamed. "You don't get it, do you! _I'm in love with you_!"

Kouga's hold on her arm loosened, "…what?"

"_I love you_! I've been in love with you since the day I met you when you first transferred to Shikon no Tama High!" Ayame sobbed. "I tried getting closer to you. I even gave you a few signs. I've worried about you…but you won't even cast more than a glance at me unless it's for training!"

For a minute, the two stood in silence. Kouga let go of Ayame's arm completely.

He really was an idiot. All along, Ayame had…

_She's right under your nose_.

So that's what Kagome had meant. She had been talking about Ayame. Kouga took a breath, "That's not true. I pay more attention to you than you think."

"No, you don't," Ayame said quietly. She'd calmed down. "You only have eyes for Kagome. In drama class, you and I are supposed to pretend to be the father and mother of the prince…a couple. But all you do is ignore me and keep an eye out to make sure Inuyasha doesn't pull any moves on Kagome."

"That-that's not true," Kouga protested. But deep down, he knew it really _was_.

"I'm giving up on you, Kouga," Ayame said softly. "I don't want to get hurt anymore. So, I'm sorry for bothering you all this time."

Her breath caught in her throat when he stepped toward her and pulled her into a hug.

"You're an idiot too, Ayame," he said. Ayame's fingers clenched his black gi. However, before she could say anything, Kouga continued. "I…watch you a lot while you do gymnastic routines during club time…and I enjoy talking to you."

He felt Ayame begin to shake. She was starting to cry again. Kouga pulled away so that they were face to face.

"Look at me," he ordered. Ayame looked up. As he stared into her deep and endless pool of emerald eyes and at her flaming red hair, he realized that'd he'd never taken the time to see how beautiful she was.

He kissed her forehead, "You know what? Kagome might not be the one who I'm in love with after all."

Ayame looked at him questioningly, her eyes searching his for an answer to what he meant by his last statement.

"I think…" Kouga said. "The one I truly love…is you."

Ayame's mouth trembled, "Do you mean that?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he bent down and kissed her lightly on the mouth. When Kouga pulled away, he saw tears falling from her eyes. But she was smiling.

"I guess we don't have to pretend to be a couple in drama class anymore, huh?" Kouga asked with a grin. She shook her head and a warmth filled him when he saw the happy look on her face...just like the happy look on Kagome's face when she was with Inuyasha.

So _this_ was how love felt like.

"I love you," Ayame whispered.

"I love you too," Kouga replied softly.

For a moment, they stared at each other…and then, they both closed their eyes and kissed.

* * *

It was night time.

A feminine figure jumped down from the rooftops of Houshi Shrine and quietly landed on the ground. She glanced in all directions before dashing off toward a particular room in the shrine. She silently slid the door to the main shrine building open and slipped inside.

"Found it," she whispered as she stopped in front of a large statue of Buddha. She slid the statue over with great effort…but it was all worth it when she uncovered the hole underneath and saw the box she'd come for. She eagerly picked up the box, opened it, and grinned when a round pink jewel gleamed back at her.

She stuffed the jewel into her pocket, putting the lid back on the box before sticking it back inside the hole and pushing the statue back into place afterward. Then, she snuck out of the room and back onto the shrine courts.

"They won't notice it's gone until tomorrow or even _days_ later," she smirked.

Then, with one great leap, she landed back on the rooftops and disappeared into the night.

A/N: Wonder who the jewel thief is. **:P** And Ayame and Kouga have finally gotten together!

Anyway, this fic is not over yet (but it will be soon since there're only a couple of chapters left). Naraku is in here for a reason. **:D** You'll find out his part in the story soon.

Please review!


	17. A Kiss Goodbye

**Shrine of Love**

A/N: Thank you for your lovely reviews, everyone! **:D** I swear, they brighten up my day every time.

* * *

:O:

VOCABULARY

(Been awhile since we had new terms, huh?)

Yakuza-a Japanese gangster…or more specifically, a loose alliance of Japanese criminal organizations and illegal enterprises.

:O:

* * *

Chapter 17: A Kiss Goodbye

Saturday quickly came rolling by.

Kagome headed over to Houshi Shrine early in the morning on her bike. It was a bit chilly to her today so she'd worn a sweater over a tank top and a pair of jeans.

By the time she came to a stop in front of the shrine stairs, she saw a familiar red motorcycle slow down to a stop a few feet away from her.

She watched as her boyfriend pulled off his helmet and climbed off his motorcycle before walking over to her.

"Morning," Inuyasha greeted, giving her a quick kiss on the mouth. "You're early today…for once."

Kagome scoffed, "Oh, shut up."

Inuyasha gave her a faint smile and then looked up at the top of the stairs.

"Another day of chores," he sighed. "Ready?"

Kagome nodded and they both headed up the staircase. She noted that Inuyasha had dressed warmly today too with cargo pants and a red hooded jacket.

"It's cold today, isn't it?" Inuyasha asked, as if reading her thoughts. "I guess winter is kicking in."

He stretched his arms and then slung one of them over Kagome's neck, pulling her closer to him.

"We're eating ramen today," Inuyasha said as he rested his head against hers. "So we'll have a good amount of free time before dinner. Want to do some training and dance practice then?"

"Sure."

They said nothing more to each other as they headed up the rest of the stairs. Kagome's eyes closed halfway…he was so warm. Inuyasha begin to finger her hair. A minute later, she felt his fingertips lightly touching her cheek, slowly trailing down her face and stopping at the area of her weak spot. Out of reflex, Kagome gave a small flinch.

Inuyasha's hand fell from her face, but she knew he was smiling.

"I forgot to add 'making out' as one of the options," he said. "And because of that, I'll be sure to work on that with you as much as we spend on training and dance practice _combined_."

Inuyasha laughed as Kagome flushed a deep red. Before she could make a remark, Inuyasha's arm suddenly dropped back to his side and he became silent. They'd reached the top of the steps.

"This…has got to be a dream," Inuyasha said quietly at the scene they saw before them. Kagome nodded. The two of them stood speechlessly as they watched Miroku sweep the shrine courts.

"Hey," Miroku greeted when he spotted the both of them. "…what's with the staring?"

Kagome walked over to her cousin and placed her hand against his forehead, "We think you're running a fever…are you? That'd be the only explanation of why you're _cleaning_."

"Haha, very funny," Miroku said sarcastically. "And to answer your question…no, I don't have a fever."

"Why the sudden urge to clean then?" Inuyasha remarked. "If I knew that you'd be taking over the chores from now on, I wouldn't have come today."

Miroku held up his hands, "Hold up, hold up. I didn't say _anything_ about taking over all the chores. Just the _cleaning_. I woke up today and started feeling…well, guilty for making you both do all the chores for me when it's _my_ home."

"And it took months for you to start feeling this way?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "So what chores are you taking over?"

Miroku bit his bottom lip, "Uh…sweeping, dusting, cleaning the table after dinner…and…"

"And that's all?"

"Well, that's already a lot of stuff to do, isn't it?"

Before Inuyasha could reply, Kagome went ahead and did it for him. She jabbed a finger into Miroku's chest and snapped, "You call that a lot of stuff to do? _Inuyasha and I_ are the ones who have a lot of stuff to do! When do you intend to start shopping…or doing the laundry…or cooking dinner…or washing the dishes?"

Miroku swallowed hard, "You know…you two are a lot scarier when you gang up on me as a couple."

* * *

"I feel sort of guilty for yelling at him," Kagome said thoughtfully as she and Inuyasha rode their bikes to the supermarket.

"I do too," Inuyasha admitted. "At least he's starting to make an effort to help us."

They skidded to a stop at a red light.

"Hm, I didn't take you to Rin's last weekend did I?" Inuyasha asked, turning his gaze to Kagome. When she shook her head, he smirked. "Well, I'll make it up to you during training today."

Kagome raised an eyebrow, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll see."

"Come on, tell me."

But he just gave her a grin and pedaled off. Kagome looked at the light. It had turned green.

She growled, "HEY!"

* * *

"You just _love_ leaving me behind all the time, don't you?" Kagome demanded.

Inuyasha took another box of ramen down from the shelf and placed it in the shopping basket he held, "Yes."

When he saw Kagome glare daggers at him, he planted a kiss on her forehead and said, "Relax, would you? I was kidding. However, I _do_ love seeing you get mad. You're cute when you're angry."

"Now how many times have I heard that line from you?" Kagome sighed in exasperation.

"A lot. But if you want, I'll say it to you every time you're angry from now on."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Kagome grumbled.

"You're cute when you're angry."

"You're seriously going to say that every time I'm mad?"

Inuyasha blinked and looked up at the ceiling with a pondering expression, "Hm, you have a point. I'd have to say it constantly since you get mad almost 24/7."

"That's an overstatement."

"Well, when you're not mad, you're usually grouchy," Inuyasha said and ruffled her hair. Kagome glared at him again, but couldn't find it in her heart to be mad at him anymore. She wrapped her arm around his as they began walking to the cash register. "You want to go to Rin's today?"

Kagome smiled, "Sure."

* * *

"Oh, it's _terrible_," Rin said gloomily. "I just _hate_ winter."

"Why is that?" Kagome asked as she and Inuyasha came up to the counter to give their order.

"Winter is the cold season," Rin explained miserably. "And since the weather is cold, it'd make sense that people wouldn't want to eat ice cream since it'd make them colder, right?"

"Right," Kagome said. She paused. "So what does this have to do with you hating winter?"

"The store's business doesn't do so well during the winter because it's an ice cream shop," Inuyasha answered for Rin. "So she doesn't make much money during the winter."

Rin threw herself onto the countertop with a small weep, "The number of customers is going down already. See? Just look around you."

Kagome did so. Rin was right. Usually, the place was full of people. Today, only half of the store's seats were filled.

"Well, I'll keep coming here every Saturday even if it's snowing. And business will be booming again when it gets hot, so cheer up," Kagome encouraged.

"But that won't be until months," Rin replied, her voice muffled.

Kagome watched her with sympathy until an idea suddenly popped into her head, "Hey, you know what? Since the holidays are coming up, you could serve other stuff here like hot chocolate or eggnog or small pastries. What do you think?"

Rin's head shot up. She looked like she had been hit with inspiration, "And I could make them specials! Or even better, I could have _weekly_ specials!"

She let out a deep breath and gave a big smile, "You made my day. And because of that, both of your orders are on the house today."

"It should _always_ be on the house for us," Inuyasha grumbled. "I'm family."

* * *

When Inuyasha and Kagome returned to Houshi Shrine, they found an exhausted looking Miroku lying on the couch in the living room.

"Hey," he said tiredly. "Done shopping?"

"Yup," Inuyasha answered. "The ramen cups are in the kitchen. If you get hungry early, feel free to make yourself one. Otherwise, you'll have to wait until it's dinner time before someone else makes it for you."

Miroku gave a small nod, "I'll eat when it's dinner time. I still have some dusting to do, but I'm taking a small break right now."

"How long have you been taking a break so far?" Kagome asked curiously with a raised eyebrow. "A half hour?"

"Hehe…actually, an hour and a half."

"You call that a _small _break?" Inuyasha retorted. "Get your lazy ass off the couch and start working…or else we'll never make okonomiyaki for you ever again."

Miroku bolted up from the couch.

"You blackmailers!" he complained, heading out of the room. Kagome glanced at Inuyasha and saw that he was grinning.

"Works every time," he said smugly.

* * *

Kagome patiently sat in the intermediates' training room and waited for Inuyasha to finish doing the laundry. She drew up her knees against her chest and rested her head on them.

'I'm really going to miss…training with Inuyasha when I move to the advanced class,' she thought, her eyes closing. 'I know I told him a long time ago that I didn't want to be stuck with him forever, but now, I'm not so sure about that.'

Kagome continued to sit in deep thought when a voice interrupted.

"What are you thinking about?"

She jumped and her eyes flickered open, finding herself looking into a pair of violet eyes a second later.

She snapped, "Inuyasha, would you _please_ stop sneaking up on me all the time?"

He frowned, "But it's fun."

"To me it isn't."

"Well, to me it _is_," Inuyasha replied. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a long white strip of cloth. "And guess what? I'm going to do a whole lot of it during our training session today. Now take your sweater off. It may be cold, but it'll get hot real quick once we start training."

Kagome took off her sweater, watching Inuyasha take off his red jacket and throw it on the floor to the side of the room.

"Damn, it isn't cold…it's _freezing_," he said, tugging at the neck of his navy blue t-shirt.

"Well, at least you're not the one wearing the tank top," Kagome pointed out.

"Point taken," Inuyasha chuckled. "Now close your eyes for a minute."

Kagome did so. She felt him wrap the strip of cloth around her head so that it covered her eyes. When the cloth was tied securely, she felt him take her hands in his.

"Today's lesson is to learn how to sense people before they're able to sneak up on you," she heard Inuyasha say as he slowly guided her toward the middle of the room. "Even though you've learned how to sneak up on people, you _obviously_ still need to learn how to detect people that are sneaking up on you."

Kagome felt him let go of her hands.

"If you master this lesson, you'll be able to sense people without being alarmed when they launch a surprise attack," she heard Inuyasha say a few feet away from her. She heard the flick of the light switch and knew that he'd just turned off the lights. "There are two things you're looking for when you're trying to sense people."

When he didn't continue, Kagome asked, "And those two things are?"

"You'll have to find out by yourself."

"…I hate you."

"I love you too. Now let's get started."

Kagome let out a deep breath in resignation and relaxed her body. So she was going to have to look for two things, was she? She stood motionlessly in her spot for a long time, wondering where Inuyasha was in the room when she felt a foot collide with her back in a roundhouse kick.

She stumbled forward a few steps and cursed. Judging by his first attack, Inuyasha wasn't going to go easy on her. Kagome shook her head and cleared her mind.

'I have to keep my mind open…but still…I have no clue what two things I'm supposed to look for-'

That's when she heard it. It was faint, but she was sure she had heard a soft 'whoosh'.

She closed her eyes in deep concentration. She was sure of it now. One of the two things she had to look for was sound. The only reason why she hadn't heard anything earlier was because her mind wasn't clear. She caught onto the sound of the barely audible flutter of Inuyasha's clothes and shot out an arm.

"Good job," Inuyasha said, his fist caught by her hand. She'd blocked his punch. "You've found out one of them: sound…or, more precisely, movement. Now try figuring out the second one."

Kagome felt him withdraw from her. She bit her lip and tried listening for any movement in the room.

'I can't hear any,' she thought in disappointment. 'He's being more careful now.'

Kagome slowly rubbed her arms. Inuyasha had been right earlier. Her body was starting to heat up.

'Heat,' she realized. Kagome felt excitement bubble inside of her. 'Aura. That's it! The second thing to look for is aura!'

She went into a fighting stance. Whether it was aura or not, she'd find out soon. Kagome closed her eyes and cleared her mind again. If Inuyasha attacked, she should be able to feel his body heat before he pulled anything on her.

And she was right.

She caught onto his body presence as he silently loomed closer and before he could launch an attack, she whirled a foot into his chest, "HAI!"

"_Shoot_," she heard him say. Kagome shot out a fist and connected with his shoulder. Her triumph was short-lived however, when he caught hold of her wrist and flung her onto the ground behind him.

Kagome felt a jolt of pain run through her when she sat up, but she stood up and went into a stance once again. The good thing was that she detected Inuyasha's aura a few feet away from her. The bad thing was that she had no idea what he had planned for her next.

She heard movement that was growing dimly louder. He was running towards her. The next thing she knew, all the air was knocked out of her when Inuyasha planted a fist hard in her stomach.

But that didn't stop her from head-butting him. Inuyasha let out a yelp of pain.

Kagome took the opportunity to bind him in a front headlock.

'I might actually win this,' she thought, hope rising inside of her. 'I might finally beat him!'

But he didn't surrender like she thought he would. Instead, she felt his mouth press against her neck. Her hold on him loosened and she felt herself sink against him. Inuyasha's mouth left her neck and pressed against her lips, his arms around her. A minute later, Kagome felt herself backed up against the wall of the training room, the kiss between her and Inuyasha hot and heated.

She felt his hand slip under the back of her tank top and begin to toy with her bra strap, which he undid with little difficulty. As his hand slowly caressed her bare back, Kagome let out a soft moan.

Inuyasha broke their long kiss and switched to small kisses instead, "Kag?"

"Hm?" she murmured.

"I…" Inuyasha gave her another short kiss. "…win."

Kagome stiffened. It was then that she realized that she was pinned against him and the wall, one arm wrapped around her whole body and the other pressed firmly against her stomach so that she couldn't struggle.

"That…was a low move," she growled. "I almost beat you, but you just _had_ to pull a dirty move on me!"

She heard Inuyasha laugh as he took the blindfold off her.

"Just admit that you enjoyed it as much as I did," he said, barely visible since the lights were still off.

"You had no right to reach under my shirt like that," Kagome stated as she redid the clasp of her bra.

"Really? Well, I didn't think you minded because you were _moaning_."

Inuyasha flicked on the lights and Kagome squinted at the sudden brightness. He gathered her into his arms again and settled his mouth against her ear.

"And you have to admit, it could've gone farther," he said softly. "But we're not ready for _that_ yet."

Understanding what he meant, Kagome blushed, "Yeah."

"For now, we'll stick with kissing," Inuyasha said with a sly smile, wrapping his arms around her waist. Kagome draped her own arms around his neck as the two of them began a slow dance.

"Yes…kissing…" she said breathlessly and closed her eyes as their lips locked again.

* * *

Kagome and Inuyasha prepared dinner early and were eating in the dining room when Miroku ran in frantically.

"The Shikon no Tama…it's gone!"

The couple stared back at him.

"What?" Kagome asked in disbelief.

"The Shikon no Tama is gone!" Miroku repeated, close to hysteria. "The precious Houshi family heirloom is _gone_!"

"You're kidding, right?" Inuyasha said, putting down his chopsticks.

"_No_, I'm _not_."

"Maybe you just misplaced it," Kagome suggested. "Were you dusting out the place?"

"It was gone before I even _began_ cleaning out the place!" Miroku exclaimed. "Don't you guys get it? _Someone stole the Shikon no Tama_!"

* * *

Inuyasha and Kagome had decided to spend the night over at Houshi Shrine to keep a lookout, just in case the jewel thief returned. Miroku had disappeared into Mushin's room, where he had a long and serious conversation about the stolen jewel with the old man for a good number of hours.

It was late evening when the panic in the shrine settled down. Kagome had pulled a futon into the intermediates' training room and was now sound asleep on it. Meanwhile, Miroku and Inuyasha sat in the dining room, still widely awake. The table that usually held food now held several papers and documents.

"I can't believe this happened," Miroku said grimly. "The Shikon no Tama was really stolen."

"Well, its hiding place wasn't that secure, was it?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

Miroku frowned and picked up one of the papers from the table, "The only person who knows about the Shikon no Tama's hiding place besides you, me, Mushin, Kagome, and Sango is Kikyo. She had to be the one who stole it."

"That bitch. You should have never let her train here at Houshi Shrine in the first place," Inuyasha snarled. He picked up a folder and slid it across the table to Miroku.

"Not only that, I've found some stuff about Naraku. I called Sesshoumaru a few hours ago and asked him if our company had any files about Naraku or anyone related to him," he said as Miroku flipped through the pages. "And now I know why 'Onigumo' sounded so familiar to me when I heard it on the day Naraku transferred to our high school."

Miroku stopped flipping and stared down at the page he was at, "Kami. Naraku Onigumo…is in the yakuza?"

"Actually, he's the son of the leader," Inuyasha explained as he drummed the table with his fingers. "His dad tried taking my family company while my parents were still alive, but my dad caught him and Naraku's dad got thrown in jail."

"Do you think Naraku's out for revenge?" Miroku asked, his eyes filled with worry. Inuyasha laughed.

"_Him_? Out for revenge for his father?" he shook his head. "I doubt he even knows _why_ his dad is in jail. Adults in the yakuza keep a lot of things from their kids. But like father, like son. Naraku's following his father's footsteps and he's just as greedy as his dad was for wealth."

A moment of silence passed.

Then, Miroku said softly, "So the only way to get back the Shikon no Tama…is the way that you suggested earlier?"

Inuyasha nodded.

"Are you sure there isn't any other way?" Miroku asked. "We could call the police you know."

"Naraku would have excuses ready for them. Believe me."

Miroku set the folder he held down on the table and let out a deep breath, "Inuyasha, this is going to hurt Kagome. You know that."

"I know," Inuyasha replied. It was faint, but Miroku heard the pain in his voice.

"This is going to break her heart again," Miroku said quietly. He paused, "Are you sure that…this is the only way?"

"I'm sure."

Miroku swallowed and gave a nod, "Well, then. I guess this is…goodbye."

* * *

With all the commotion that had been going on today, it took forever for Kagome to fall asleep. However, her eyes finally became heavy-lidded and she drifted off.

Short dreams came and went. Some dealt with school, but most of them dealt with the theft of the Shikon no Tama.

She was in the middle of another dream about the Shikon no Tama when it suddenly…slipped away. Replaced by blackness. A voice called out her name.

_Kagome_…

Was that Inuyasha? She felt the familiar gentle touch of his hands on her face and a short second later, she felt his mouth on hers in what seemed like the sweetest and longest kiss she'd ever had. But for some reason…it seemed sad. Why?

The oddest thing about it was that it all seemed real. She swore she could actually feel his lips brushing against hers. His warmth.

She felt him pull away, the feel of his mouth still lingering on hers. His mouth settled against her ear and he whispered something that she could barely make out.

_I love you, Kag_…_don't forget me_.

Don't forget me? What did he mean? Kagome felt tears prick her eyes. Why was this so sad? It was a dream, wasn't it?

_Goodbye_.

With that last word, she felt his warmth disappear completely.

Kagome's eyes flew open and she felt hot tears spilling from them. For a moment, she just laid in the dark, staring up at the ceiling before she sat up with a shaky laugh. It was probably just a nightmare.

"It was just a nightmare…" she told herself. "You're just being stupid. It was just a dream…just a dream…"

She took a few breaths to calm herself down. Kagome dried her tears and then, something that was beside her futon caught her eye.

Her mouth went dry.

It was Inuyasha's jacket.

A/N: So, more is revealed about Naraku and Inuyasha gave Kagome a goodbye that seemed…almost permanent. **XD**

Get ready for some more plot twists. **:P**

Review please!


	18. His Promise

**Shrine of Love**

A/N: I'm so sorry for the long update everyone (especially since I left you all at a cliffhanger)! **XD** I've been flooded with school work lately, but that will never stop me from updating! **:D**

Thank you so much for your reviews!

* * *

:O:

VOCABULARY

Yukata- a fancy kimono meant for special occasions or holidays

:O:

* * *

Chapter 18: His Promise

Kagome tugged at her school uniform and turned toward her desk chair to pick up her backpack. As she slipped the straps onto her shoulder, her eyes fell onto the red jacket that was draped over the bedpost at the bottom of her bed.

"Inuyasha…" she whispered. "I'm going to see you today…right?"

After his goodbye kiss, she had lain wide awake all night in the intermediates' training, unable to sleep. Her "dream" had bothered her so much that she got up and walked around the shrine to find Miroku. When she found her cousin, she asked if he knew where Inuyasha was. His only reply was that Inuyasha had already left the shrine and had important business to take care of.

On Sunday, she had used her bike to get back home. That night, she waited for the phone in her bedroom to ring…for Inuyasha to call her and wish her a good night like he always did ever since they became a couple. She waited an hour…but there was no call.

Kagome strode over to her bed and picked up the jacket, hugging it to herself tightly. It was Monday today and she was hoping to see him at school.

"Look at me," she laughed bitterly. "A lovesick girl…"

* * *

In a few minutes, the bell would ring and school would start. As usual, Mr. Nobunaga was late. Kagome sat in her seat, her head resting on her desk.

To her disappointment, Inuyasha was no where to be found. The seat behind her, the place he usually sat at, was empty.

"Are you feeling okay today?" a voice asked beside her.

Kagome snapped out of her train of thought and pasted a smile on her face when she saw her best friend looking over at her with a concerned expression, "Yeah, I'm fine. What makes you think I'm not?"

"Well, for one, you're more quiet than usual," Sango pointed out. "Usually, you and Inuyasha are always talking-"

Realization hit her.

"Oh…" Sango said slowly. She looked around the classroom they sat in. "Speaking of Inuyasha, where is he?"

"Taking care of business," Kagome answered. She slumped down in her seat. "I'm getting worried about him."

"I'm sure he'll be back soon, Kagome," her best friend reassured her. "Maybe he's dealing with family matters."

Kagome didn't say anything. She had thought of that possibility before too. But if he _was_ dealing with family matters…exactly why would he be keeping it a secret from her like this?

* * *

During drama class, no big scenes could be practiced because of Inuyasha's absence. At lunch time, she ate lunch with Miroku and Sango, but the two seemed preoccupied with each other-she felt like a third wheel. During clubs, she missed Inuyasha's visits.

However, what she missed the most was his smile, and the warm feeling she got whenever she saw it.

Kagome let out a silent sigh as she walked along with her friends to Houshi Shrine after school. She heard a tinkling laugh behind her and took a peek to see what the fuss was all about. Like usual, Kouga and Ayame were talking…only, there had been one difference lately: they were holding hands.

Kagome blinked when Kouga unexpectedly turned his attention to her.

"Hey, Kagome, how come the idiot isn't here today?" he asked.

"He's off taking care of business," Kagome answered grimly for what felt like the hundredth time. "That's all I know."

"Kouga, it's not nice to call someone an idiot," Ayame said, tugging at Kouga's arm.

"I know…but the idiot's an exception," Kouga remarked. The two continued bickering and walked past her.

Kagome was so lost in thought that she hadn't noticed they had all reached Houshi Shrine. Kouga and Ayame were already walking up the stairs. Miroku and Sango, however, were waiting for her.

"Ready for training today?" Miroku asked with a smile.

"What training?" Kagome grumbled. "I don't have a teacher since Inuyasha's gone."

Her cousin gave her a look of confusion, "Inuyasha didn't tell you before he left?"

"Tell me what?"

Miroku looked at Sango before turning his eyes back to Kagome.

"Kagome…" he said slowly. "You've passed intermediate…you're in the advanced level now."

* * *

Miroku was a good teacher and Sango, who apparently had reached black-belt level, was a good teacher assistant. But neither of them could replace the one person she wanted to see right now.

"Winter break is coming up in two weeks," Miroku brought up as he adjusted Kagome's fist. He gave it a pat. "Alright, give me an air punch with your right arm."

Kagome's arm shot forward and struck the air in front of her.

"Your arm is really straight. Good," Miroku said with a pleased look. "Inuyasha's taught you well."

Kagome's smile fell from her face at the mention of Inuyasha's name. Sango nudged Miroku hard in the side and gave him a glare.

"Um…er…" Miroku started, trying to change the subject. "Do you guys think it'll snow this Christmas?"

Sango sighed and rolled her eyes. It was a lame change of topic, but at least they were on a different issue. She told Kagome to practice some air kicks alone and then pulled Miroku to the other side of the room.

"Don't talk about Inuyasha around her," Sango scolded her boyfriend quietly. "This unknown absence of his is making her depressed."

"You think _I'm_ not being affected?" Miroku shot back. "Inuyasha's my best friend. And because he's gone, _I'll_ have to do most of the chores around here from now on."

He looked up at the ceiling, "I just hope Kagome will keep coming to the shrine on Saturdays."

"Why does Kagome come to the shrine on Saturdays?" Sango asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"She and Inuyasha usually take care of shrine chores for me on Saturdays," Miroku replied. He let out a sad sigh. "If Kagome doesn't come to the shrine anymore, there'll be no one left to make okonomiyaki for me."

Sango stared at him with a thoughtful look, "Hm…Okonomiyaki, huh?"

* * *

The weekdays went by slowly. Inuyasha still hadn't appeared. Kagome found herself on auto-pilot, doing the normal routines she did everyday. When Saturday eventually came, she wanted to stay under her covers, but the hope of seeing her boyfriend drove her out of bed.

As she pedaled to Houshi Shrine, the thought of going to Inuyasha's house popped into mind. The only problem was that she had no idea where his house was located.

"Damn," Kagome muttered. "I should've paid attention to the streets when he took me home from his house that one day…"

She was so lost in thought that she almost crashed her bike into a person in front of her. Kagome slammed down the brakes on her bike. Her surroundings told her she was at Houshi Shrine already. The person turned their head and Kagome blinked when she found herself looking into the face of her best friend.

"That was close," Sango gave a small laugh. "You almost gave me a heart attack there."

"Sorry. I was thinking about something," Kagome blushed with embarrassment. She climbed off her bike. "So, what are you doing here?"

"I'm going to help you out with chores here on Saturdays until Inuyasha comes back," Sango said proudly.

* * *

"So what's for dinner?" Kagome asked as she followed Sango around in the supermarket. Her best friend was carrying a shopping basket filled with unfamiliar ingredients.

"Sushi," Sango answered as she picked up a pack of dried seaweed. "It's my favorite food. You'll love it. I make a mean dish of sushi."

Kagome smiled, "Are we making one type or an assortment?"

"Assortment," Sango briefly replied. She suddenly turned her head and fixed her eyes on Kagome. "And _we_ aren't going to do anything. _I_ am. You should take a break from shrine chores today."

"What?"

"You heard what I said," Sango said. She set her hands on Kagome's shoulder and gently pushed her forward. "You deserve a break. Now go wait outside near our bikes. I'll be out in a few minutes."

Kagome reluctantly walked out the store and spotted Rin's Ice Cream.

_Rin_. Rin lived with Inuyasha.

Excitement filled her as she hurried over to the shop. Maybe Rin could tell her what was going on with him. She walked in and went right up to the counter since there was no line.

"Ohayo, Kagome," Rin greeted, sitting on her usual stool behind the register. "What can I get you today?"

"Well, actually, I was just wondering if you can tell me what's been going on with Inuyasha this past week," Kagome said hesitantly.

She saw Rin's smile falter for the slightest second.

"Well, lately, I've barely seen him at home," Rin said after a long period of time. "In fact, I haven't seen him at all. He's been coming home late."

Kagome frowned in disappointment when she realized her last hope was gone. She let out a deep sigh.

"Hey, I'm going to start selling eggnog and hot chocolate next week, so come, okay?" Rin said, changing the topic. She winked. "And for you, it'll be on the house."

Kagome gave a faint smile, "Thanks…anyway, I have to go…"

"Aw, already?" Rin whined. "Well, okay then."

As Kagome turned toward the door to leave, she heard Rin ask, "Hey, Kagome…do you want to leave a message with me for Inuyasha? Just in case I happen to be lucky and see him at home?"

Kagome's fingers rested on the door handle. She looked back in Rin's direction and softly replied, "Just tell him I miss him."

* * *

Two weeks passed and winter break arrived.

Kagome stood in the back area of Houshi Shrine. The pond had glazed over and the surface was now a thin layer of ice. The grass was covered completely with white snow. She looked up at the dark sky and closed her eyes as snowflakes lightly brushed down against her cheeks and onto the ground. This place in the shrine held a lot of memories for her. It was where she'd stumbled into Inuyasha on the first day at Houshi Shrine…where she was first kissed by him on her birthday…where they had first fought together as a team during the tag-team battle against Miroku and Sango…

Kagome took in a shuddering breath and wrapped Inuyasha's red jacket tighter around herself, rubbing her arms to warm herself up.

"Kagome!" she heard Sango's voice shout a few feet away. A minute later, her best friend was standing next to her. "Come and eat dinner with Miroku and me. If you stand out here any longer, you're going to get sick."

"Just another five minutes," Kagome mumbled.

"What? So you could stand here and look spaced out?" Sango countered. Her expression softened. "Let's face it, Kagome. Inuyasha's not coming back until he comes back. So we'll just have to wait and be patient."

Kagome stared at her for awhile before tearing her eyes away and focusing on the snow beneath her feet.

"Sulking isn't going to do anything," she heard Sango say quietly. "You've been doing it ever since Inuyasha left."

A moment of silence passed.

"Alright, let's go in," Sango said firmly. She planted a hand on Kagome's shoulder and steered her into the shrine. "I'm going to cheer you up. Christmas is in a few days and you're obviously not in the holiday spirit yet. And my first attempt of 'Operation Make-Kagome-Happier' is making you eat a dish of my homemade sushi."

Kagome's mouth twitched upward. Oh, what would she do without Sango? She truly was her best friend. Over the past few Saturdays, Sango had taken Inuyasha's place and helped her and Miroku with shrine chores. Not only that, she really _did_ made a mean dish of sushi. In fact, Sango's sushi was so delicious that Miroku had begged her to make it again and again each Saturday for dinner.

She looked at Sango, who was babbling about being excited for Christmas.

"Hey, Sango?" she said.

Sango stopped and turned to her with full attention, "Yes?"

Kagome gave her a full smile, the first she'd given in days, "Thanks for everything."

* * *

Because it was so dark, Kagome went home early. She quickly pedaled her bike home to Higurashi Shrine and rushed inside for a warmer atmosphere. The shrine was already decorated for Christmas. Colorful lights hung on the roof edges and poinsettias were everywhere on the shrine courts. Inside the house, a Christmas tree stood sparkling in the corner of the living room, a merry fire dancing in the fireplace a few feet away.

Kagome was unwinding her scarf as she headed up the stairs when her mother came into the hallway.

"Kagome, you're home already, dear?" she asked.

"It was getting dark outside," Kagome explained.

Her mother nodded, "I see. By the way, a package came in the mail for you today."

Kagome stared down in curiosity at the brown parcel her mother held out to her. She took it carefully into her hands and when she saw that there was no return address, she looked at her mom again, "Do you know who this is from?"

Mrs. Higurashi shook her head slowly, "No. There wasn't any special deliverer. It came in with the other mail from the mailman."

Kagome looked at the package again.

"Well, thanks, Mom," she said, turning to head up the stairs again. She heard her mother call her name and turned around. Mrs. Higurashi stared back up at her.

"Cheer up, sweetie," she said with a faint smile and then headed off toward the kitchen.

Kagome bit her lip as she climbed the rest of the stairs to her room. She'd told the whole story about Inuyasha's absence to her mom a few Saturdays ago when her mother saw her riding her bike home and bothered her about why Inuyasha hadn't dropped her off like he usually did. Instead of constantly asking where Inuyasha possibly was, her mother had surprisingly kept silent, probably sensing her need for being alone.

She gave a small smile when she realized so many people cared about her. Her mom, Sango, Miroku…even Rin, who had given her about five free cups of hot chocolate earlier when she'd gone to the ice cream shop after grocery shopping with Sango.

Kagome settled down in a chair in front of her desk and took another moment to study the parcel. From the looks of it, the person who'd written her name was in a rush. Either that or they had sloppy handwriting. Not being able to stand the suspension any longer, Kagome opened the sealed side flap of the package and was surprised to find a small sealed box, and a hand-sized tape recorder.

"Okay…this is one weird present," she muttered. She saw that there was a tape inside the recorder and pressed the play button. For the first few seconds, there was nothing. Then, she heard it.

_Hi, Kagome_.

It was Inuyasha's voice. She gasped and stared down at the miniature cassette player she held, completely speechless as the tape played on.

_It's me…Inuyasha, if you forgot my name. Haha, just playing. Anyways, I know I haven't been around lately. I've left you to fend Miroku off and shop for groceries by yourself on Saturdays. Not only have I done that, but I've left you alone without a trainer for about a month already too. I'm sorry, but I have important business to take care of. _

_Well, this tape and the small box that came along with it is my Christmas present to you. I know you're probably anxious to open the box right now, so pause this tape right now and don't start playing the rest of it until after opening the present._

With trembling hands, Kagome paused the tape and turned her attention to the small box that had come with the tape recorder. She opened it and a velvety blue jewelry box slipped into her hand. She flipped open the lid. A golden ring with a small sapphire in the middle sparkled back at her.

Kagome's jaw dropped open and she felt her heart start beating rapidly. She pressed the play button again on the cassette player, her eyes glued to the ring, not being able to believe what she was seeing. She felt her eyes fill with tears as the tape continued and Inuyasha's voice filled the room once again.

_Don't get a heart attack now. It's only a promise ring. We're too young to marry right now anyway. But the ring represents that when we're older, and if we still love each other, we might marry each other…which means that I'll have to give you another ring, won't I?_

_Once all this business I have to take care of is done, I'll return to you and the first thing I'll do is give you a kiss. I promise._

_So anyways, Merry Christmas, Kag. I love you. I always have and I always will._

And then the tape stopped. Kagome pressed the stop button and gently took the ring from its case, slipping it onto her ring finger. She closed her eyes and rested her cheek against the gem, her mouth lifting into a smile and tears trickling down her face.

"Inuyasha…"

She sat there for a few more minutes before taking in a deep breath and rewrapping the scarf around her neck. Kagome walked out of her room, down the stairs, and opened the front door.

"I'm going out again, Mom. I'll be back soon, okay?" she called out toward the kitchen.

"Okay," she heard her mother call back. "Take care of yourself!"

Kagome closed the door behind her and practically ran down the shrine steps. When she reached her bike, she seated herself quickly and pedaled off.

She kept pace all the way until she reached Rin's Ice Cream. Once she threw down the bike brakes in front of the shop, she hopped off and rushed inside. The store looked even prettier at night than it had in the daytime. It had already been decorated for Christmas, just like Higurashi Shrine. Colorful lights were strung around the ceiling of the store and in a corner stood a big Christmas tree with gleaming ornaments and streamers, a small toy train circling on the floor around it.

The weekly specials had obviously worked. The place was packed-even if it was night time-with people who were sipping eggnog or hot chocolate or eating pastries.

Rin was behind the counter, cheerfully serving customers.

"Thank you, come again," Rin piped. The customer who she just served smiled and gave a nod before walking off. She beamed and chirped, "Next in line!"

"H-hey, Rin," Kagome greeted, a bit out of breath from riding her bike too hard. "How's it going?"

Rin blinked, "Hi, Kagome…are you here to get some more hot chocolate?"

Kagome laughed, "No, but if you don't mind, I have another message for you to give to Inuyasha."

"Sure, I don't mind. What's the message?"

Kagome glanced down at her new ring, "Tell Inuyasha I said 'I'll never take it off'."

"Oh, okay," Rin blinked again. "But that's not really specific…he might not know what you mean by 'it'."

"Oh, believe me," Kagome assured her with a smile. "He will."

* * *

Christmas week passed. Inuyasha was still away, but his gift had made Kagome more hopeful and happy. New Year's Day soon arrived and Houshi Shrine was holding a festival, so Sango and Kagome had come over to help make food while Miroku and-surprisingly-Mushin decorated the shrine.

Kagome was making okonomiyaki while Sango made sushi and rice balls.

"Well, _someone_ seems more cheerful lately," Sango remarked when she noticed that Kagome was humming. She wrapped a roll of sushi and set it on a plate. "Did Inuyasha secretly come back or something?"

"No," Kagome shook her head, flipping a finished piece of okonomiyaki onto a platter. She blushed. "But he _did_ give me a gift."

Sango looked up from the rice ball she was forming and raised an eyebrow, "Oh, really? What did he give?"

Kagome held out her hand that she wore Inuyasha's ring on. Sango gaped, "Did he propose to you?"

Kagome turned back to her cooking, her face reddening even more, "It's just a promise ring. Nothing to be all excited about."

Sango snorted, "All Miroku gave me was a small cat."

"That's as good as a ring," Kagome argued. "And I know you like cats. So you _must_ love his present, right?"

Sango's mouth curved upward. She answered softly, "Yeah, I do. I love Kirara."

When she turned her head and saw Kagome smirking back at her, she blushed and moved onto another task, "Alright, time to start working on dessert!"

* * *

Their food was a success.

Almost all of it was gone by the late afternoon. However, from the rumors that were going around, Onigumo Shrine had much more visitors. Miroku grumbled something under his breath as he watched another group of people leave down the shrine steps-probably heading towards Onigumo Shrine. Kagome was standing beside him and noticed his stiff posture.

"Hey, what's with the grouchy look?" she asked. "Is something bothering you?"

"It's Onigumo Shrine and that damn Naraku!" Miroku gritted through his teeth. "He's killing business for Houshi Shrine!"

"Now, now, Miroku," Kagome said in a calming voice. "There's no need to use language like that. Especially for a monk-in-training."

Miroku took a deep breath and straightened himself, "You're right. So you know what I'll do instead?"

"What?"

Miroku turned his back on Kagome and picked up a platter of leftover food.

"Take this to Onigumo Shrine and personally give it to Naraku," he said, holding the food in front of his cousin.

Kagome wrinkled her nose, "Why don't _you_ do it?"

"I have to take care of the shrine. And I know you have to be a _little_ bit mad at Onigumo Shrine for stealing visitors away like this. 'Houshi's and 'Higurashi's are family."

"I guess so," Kagome shrugged. She took the platter into her hands and headed off. "Be back in a flash."

* * *

She'd never been to Onigumo Shrine before, but she had to admit, it looked just as beautiful as Houshi Shrine. The decorations for the New Year's festival made the shrine look even prettier.

Kagome had reached the top of the shrine staircase and was surveying how Onigumo Shrine's festival was coming along. The rumors had been true. There were more people here. A lot more. But she was pleased to see that people weren't eating much of the food.

'Probably because it tastes bad,' Kagome secretly smiled. She caught sight of Kikyo's close friends Kagura and Kanna, who were both dressed in yukatas and holding platters filled with uneaten food. Her eyes then fell on Kikyo, who was flirting with a group of males. 'That girl is so full of herself…'

Now that she thought about it, Kikyo hadn't been talking to her at school lately. Ever since Naraku had told Kikyo to leave her alone, she had done just that. No wonder why she was able to enjoy clubs at school more peacefully.

"Guess there are _some _benefits for having Naraku here in town," Kagome mumbled. She looked around and tried to find Naraku. During her walk up the steps, she had thought and contemplated about what Miroku had said to her before she left. It had allowed her to realize that she _was_ a little angry about Onigumo Shrine stealing Houshi Shrine's customers away. So, she decided that once she gave Naraku the food, she'd say, "This is what you really deserve-the leftovers of people."

"I'd like to see the look on his face when I say that," she murmured smugly. After several minutes of looking around and of no luck with find Naraku by herself, she gave in and decided to go over to Kikyo to ask where he was.

'Maybe I can embarrass her in front of the guys that were around her too,' Kagome thought as she stifled a laugh.

She headed toward where she saw Kikyo last, underneath a large tree. The group of males had gone off and only one male was left. Kikyo was flirting with him.

'Oh, Kami,' Kagome thought in disgust, pausing in her tracks. Maybe she should go to Kagura or Kanna for help. Kikyo's flirting was sickening. Kagome saw her lean forward and press her mouth against the guy's. Seriously, was the guy any bit disgusted by Kikyo too?

Kagome squinted to take a closer look at the guy who had sadly fallen for Kikyo's charm. Her mouth went dry when she recognized his figure and saw his familiar long black hair.

It was Inuyasha. And he wasn't pulling away from Kikyo.

He was kissing back.

A/N: -Waterlily hides behind a rock-

I have a feeling several of you are getting ready to throw tomatoes and rocks at me because of what just happened. Hehe.

Yes, I've left you all at a cliffhanger again. **XD** What will happen next?

Please review (so that I can reach at least 1000 reviews by the time I finish this fanfic)!


	19. A New Self

**Shrine of Love**

A/N: I'm back!!! Sorry for the extremely long update! **XD** I've been so overwhelmed by tides of homework lately, thus the lack of new chapters.

But anyway, thank you for your reviews! **:D **Yes, some things seem so obvious. But all your predictions are only partially correct **:P** Things should definitely be cleared up by next chapter. Because the next chapter is the big climax! **:D**

Chapter 19: A New Self

All she could do was stare. Stare and do nothing.

Except be shocked.

Kagome bit down hard on her lip and blinked her eyes rapidly so that she could clear away the tears that were threatening to pour out.

"I…can't believe it," she whispered, her eyes stuck on the heartbreaking scene before her. Inuyasha and Kikyo were still kissing…and it didn't look like they were about to stop any time soon.

"My, my, what a lovely surprise," a voice said behind her. "How can I help you, Higurashi?"

Kagome whipped around and found herself face to face with Naraku, which reminded her of why she was here at Onigumo Shrine in the first place.

"H-here," she choked, shoving the plate of food into his startled hands. Kagome then turned on her heels and ran, never stopping or looking back once.

And never seeing Naraku's mouth form into an evil smirk.

* * *

"Kagome, how'd it go?" Miroku asked as his cousin brushed past him. "Did you give the food to Naraku?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she just picked up her belongings and dashed off the grounds of Houshi Shrine and rode her bike home.

Once she reached Higurashi Shrine, Kagome let the bike fall onto the pavement beside the staircase and bolted up the stairs. Higurashi Shrine was holding a small festival since her mother and grandfather never cared to make the New Year's festival a big event.

She unnoticeably slipped past her mother and grandfather, who were both socializing with guests, and ran up the stairs inside the house into her room.

Then, once she closed and locked the door behind her, she plopped herself onto her bed and cried.

* * *

It was night. All shrine festivals had ended.

Kagome sat on a chair in front of her desk, holding Inuyasha's promise ring between two fingers. She'd been in her room ever since she came home. Her mom had come to check up on her a few hours ago and told her Miroku and Sango had called several times.

"Kagome, let me in. Maybe we can talk about what's bothering you," her mother had said softly. Kagome had declined her offer.

Kagome stared blankly at the sapphire ring, which no longer had the power to cheer her up. She couldn't believe it. Inuyasha was cheating on her. With _Kikyo _of all people!

But worst of all, he'd broken her heart…again.

_I have business to take care of._

What? To hook up with Kikyo?

_I love you. I always have and I always will._

What a liar.

Hot tears roll down her face. She felt like an idiot. All this time, she had been yearning to see him, and when she finally did, it was only to see that he was making out with another girl. And this was all after he'd given her a promise ring that hinted marriage in the future.

Logically, she should be mad at Kikyo for making the first move…but then again…Inuyasha had kissed back.

But why?

Maybe he'd gotten tired of her. Maybe he'd become less interested in her after what he saw in the last match between her and Kikyo…the one where Kikyo was about to press her pressure points and make her become unconscious.

Was she not good enough for him anymore?

She wiped her tears away with the back of her sleeve. What did she do to deserve all this pain? She couldn't take it anymore. She shut her eyes tightly, clenching the ring hard in her hand.

"That's it. This blew the final straw," she whispered to herself as she pulled in a shaky breath. She tore open one of the bottom desk drawers and flung the ring inside.

Enough sulking.

Out with the old Kagome…and in with the new.

* * *

"It scares me, Miroku," Sango whispered to her boyfriend as they watched Kagome punching the air with a fiery look in her eyes.

Miroku grimly nodded. It was the last day of winter break. He, Sango, and Kagome were at Houshi Shrine. However, instead of playing in the snow with him and Sango, Kagome had isolated herself on the other side of the backyard and was endlessly training.

It had been like this since after New Year's Day. And that was a week ago.

"Well, at least she seems to have cheered up," Sango said slowly.

"Cheered up?" Miroku frowned. "More like became a fighting machine. Here, I'll prove it."

He bent down and gathered up a handful of snow into his hands, patting it so that it became a ball.

"Kagome!" he yelled. "Heads up!"

Miroku flung the ball in her direction. Kagome stopped her punching routine and whipped around to face him. Her face didn't show the tiniest amount of surprise as she saw the snowball heading towards her. Instead, when it was within distance, her hand caught it and she spun around, hurling the ball right back at him.

"Hm, I guess you're right," Sango remarked as the snowball splattered onto Miroku's face.

* * *

The next day, break ended and school started once again.

During lunch, Sango and Miroku looked on in concern at Kagome's sudden shift in mood. Before, she used to be completely depressed about Inuyasha's disappearance. Now, she seemed completely fine…even _happy_ that Inuyasha wasn't here.

'But…' Sango thought. 'She has an angry look in her eyes.'

She sighed and glanced over at Miroku. They shared a look and then both shifted their gaze back to Kagome, who was complaining about the load of homework assignments they had to do. She still hadn't told either of them about what happened at Onigumo Shrine when she was delivering food to Naraku.

"Hey, did you guys hear me?" Kagome suddenly asked, breaking Sango's and Miroku's thoughts. "I asked what we're going to do in training today."

Miroku cleared his voice, "Well, I was thinking about teaching the basics first. You know: judo, jujutsu, martial arts with weapons…all the stuff I taught Sango in the beginning."

"That's it?" Kagome blinked.

"What do you mean 'that's it'?" Miroku asked. "You know, the sessions go by faster than you think. There are so much other martial art forms I could teach, but we don't have the time."

"It's just that…" Kagome began as she looked down at the apple she was eating. "I was hoping you could teach me aikido."

Miroku fell silent and Sango stopped chewing her food.

"Why?" Miroku finally asked.

Kagome fingered the apple in her hands and said quietly, "I want to learn a martial art that teaches application of pressure points…so that I can beat Kikyo."

Miroku's eyebrow rose.

"And why ever would you want to beat Kikyo so badly?" he asked. He paused. "Does this have to do with Inuyasha?"

"It has _nothing_ to do with him," Kagome said, a little too sharply. "I couldn't care less about that jerk. I just want things to return to the way they were _before_ I met him. The time when beating Kikyo was a piece of cake…the time when I didn't have all this drama in my life."

"Drama?" Sango asked. "What kind of drama?"

She and Miroku watched as Kagome's mouth trembled for a second before she took in a deep breath and regained her composure.

"Nothing to be concerned about," she finally said. Kagome bit into her half eaten apple and said nothing more.

* * *

The school day was over. Kagome walked silently beside Sango as they both headed to the school's entrance gate where Miroku was waiting for them. She merely gave an occasional nod to Sango's chattering to show that she was listening, when actually, her mind had drifted off some place else.

That is, until she saw _her_.

Kagome stopped in her tracks as Kikyo came into view. And she was not alone. Naraku was with her. It seemed like the two were in a deep conversation as they headed to the entrance gates like she and Sango were.

But then, Kagome gulped as Naraku suddenly looked up and locked eyes with her. Kikyo, noticing that her new training master's eyes were no longer on her, redirected her gaze to see who or what he was looking at. When she saw Kagome, a wicked grin spread across her face.

Kagome's hands curled into fists at her sides.

'Is it just me, or is Kikyo's expression saying, 'Haha, I kissed your boyfriend'?' Kagome thought furiously.

"Kagome?" a voice broke through her thoughts. Kagome's hands loosened and she turned, finding herself looking at Sango.

"Kagome, you look a little pale," Sango said worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Kagome assured her. She quickly glanced in the direction she'd last seen Kikyo and Naraku.

But they were both already gone.

* * *

Miroku rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he observed his cousin sparring with Sango during training after school.

He had to admit it – he was impressed.

Kagome was more persistent than he'd given her credit for. She was determined to perfect all the moves he taught her…and until she did, she wouldn't give up. Kagome had already breezed through many of the advanced lessons, and if she kept it up, she'd reach the black-belt level in no time.

"At this rate, maybe we _will_ have time to teach her aikido," Miroku murmured. He jumped when he heard a loud thud on the ground. His eyes flew to the floor and saw that Sango was lying down on the ground, her face twisted in pain. Miroku's gaze lifted and locked on the sight of Kagome. His cousin was sweating and panting heavily. But she was standing. He couldn't believe it.

Sango was a black-belt.

And Kagome had beaten her.

* * *

"Kagome, aren't you going over to Houshi Shrine today?" Mrs. Higurashi asked as she stood at the doorway of her daughter's room. "It's a Saturday. Doesn't Miroku need help with chores?"

"He already has some help," Kagome mumbled as she lay on her bed and stared up at her bedroom ceiling. She rolled over onto her side. "And plus, I don't feel like going there on Saturdays anymore."

At the corner of her eye, she saw her mother frown.

"Why ever not, dear?" Mrs. Higurashi asked. "Don't you enjoy being with Inuyasha?"

Kagome tightened her grip on her pillowcase. _Inuyasha_. She hadn't told anyone about the act she'd caught him in. She was keeping all her feelings inside, letting it build into anger. And when she was going to see that jerk again, she'd direct all that anger towards him.

The only guilt she felt in staying home on Saturdays from now on was that she wouldn't be able to visit Rin's ice cream shop anymore. She'd have to find a way to make it up to the young girl that she'd gotten so fond of.

Kagome snapped out of her pondering when she realized her mother was calling her name.

"Kagome," Mrs. Higurashi said. "You go ahead and enjoy yourself today then. If you want to do something, just tell me. I'm pretty much free for the next few months because the major shrine festivals are now over."

Kagome nodded. Mrs. Higurashi watched her for another minute before turning and beginning the walk down the hallway.

Kagome rolled onto her back again and sighed, "I'm going to miss practicing martial arts on Saturdays…"

Over the school week, she'd managed to beat Sango. She'd come close to beating Miroku too. He'd decided to temporarily put aside the final lessons he'd originally planned to teach her and agreed to teach her aikido.

The problem was that she could only learn aikido after school during the weekdays. She was craving to learn more during every leisure moment she had.

A minute passed before something clicked in Kagome's mind. She scrambled off her bed and ran out of her room. By the time she reached the end of the hallway, she saw her mother was already halfway down the stairs.

"Mom!" Kagome exclaimed. Her mother turned around and gave her a questioning look. Kagome continued. "Do you know aikido?"

Her mother hesitated before replying, "Yes."

"How well?"

"Very well."

Kagome took in a deep breath and then said, "Then, please…teach me all you know about it."

* * *

It was Sunday.

Miroku rolled onto his side with a groan when he heard the phone ringing. He drowsily sat up and glanced out his bedroom's window through half-closed eyes.

"Who the hell is calling at this hour?" he grunted when he saw that the sun wasn't even out yet. He stood up and walked out of his room. By the time he'd reached the nearest phone, it was still ringing. Miroku swiped it up.

"Hi, this is Houshi Shrine. How can I help you?" he said sleepily into the phone's talking end.

"May I speak to Miroku Houshi?" a male voice asked.

"You're talking to him right now," Miroku snapped, unsuccessfully hiding his irritation.

There was a crackle of static on the other end. Finally, the voice spoke again.

"I'd like to make an offer," the male said. "I was wondering if you would like to accept it."

Miroku scowled, "Are you a telemarketer? Do you have _any_ idea what time it is you-"

Laughter from the other line cut him off.

"I am no telemarketer," the voice replied, suddenly serious.

Miroku gritted his teeth. Would the guy just get to the point already? Miroku was about to make another snappy comment at the idiot who'd called and woken him up, but everything he was about to say was wiped from his mind after what he heard next.

"I have the Shikon no Tama."

Miroku instantly became awake.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

Instead of answering directly, the voice on the other end laughed, "You should know. And if you don't, you'll figure out who I am eventually. Now about that offer. I know you're interested in getting it back, yes?"

"What do _you_ think?" Miroku said sourly.

He heard laughter on the other line again.

"In that case," the voice continued. "I'd like to invite you and your martial art students to Onigumo Shrine."

Onigumo Shrine. Miroku's blood ran cold as he put two and two together.

"Naraku," he said in a deadly voice. He should have known. It was so obvious that it was a wonder why he hadn't realized it earlier. Kikyo was Naraku's student...Naraku must've heard about the Shikon no Tama…and somehow, he'd obtained the Shikon no Tama from Kikyo.

"Bravo, Houshi," Naraku said with a menacing chuckle. "It's about time that you finally figure out my identity. Now, like I said, I'd like to invite you and your students to my shrine."

"What does the Shikon no Tama have to do with this?" Miroku asked coldly.

"Tsk, tsk. For a monk-in-training, you don't have much patience," Naraku said smugly. "But I'll answer your question because I was about to anyway. My offer…is that you come to Onigumo Shrine with your students and have some little fun matches against me and my students."

Miroku pulled the phone away from his ear and looked down at it. Little fun matches? What the hell was Naraku talking about?

"What's the catch in this?" he asked, placing the phone beside his ear again. "And you still didn't answer my question about the Shikon no Tama."

"I was getting to that," Naraku said smoothly. "Now, where was I? Oh, yes, if you can beat my students and me, I'll let you have the Shikon no Tama back. In addition, I will even close down Onigumo Shrine."

Miroku's jaw dropped. Naraku was willing to close down his shrine? It seemed almost too good to be true.

Miroku replied, "And if I don't beat you and your students?"

"Then, you will give Houshi Shrine and all your students to me," Naraku answered. When Miroku didn't answer for a period of time, Naraku continued. "By the way, you're pathetic, you know that? Giving out free martial arts lessons. No one can make money that way."

"My parents didn't care about making money when they started these classes," Miroku said sharply. "They started the classes so that people could learn to protect themselves and to have some fun…to be happy."

"Money is the only true thing that can make people happy," Naraku pointed out. "And when I acquire your shrine, I'll be even richer than I am now. I know that you know I belong to a powerful group of very bad, but rich people. So what's your answer to my offer?"

"My reply is no," Miroku stated coldly. "I'll find another way to get the Shikon no Tama back. This shrine is just as priceless as the jewel. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some sleeping to catch up on."

Before he could hang up the phone, Miroku heard Naraku's voice say, "Wait."

Miroku brought the phone up to his ear again.

"If you won't fight for the jewel…perhaps you'd like to fight for vengeance," Naraku said in a completely different tone.

"And why would I fight for vengeance?" Miroku asked, frustrated.

"What if I told you that the plane crash your parents died in wasn't an accident…but rather…planned out?"

_What?_ Miroku's knuckles turned white as his clutch on the phone tightened. What kind of garbage was Naraku sprouting? Before he could reply, Naraku continued.

"What if I told you that the plane hadn't simply been knocked into the ocean because of the storm…but rather…because someone had disarmed the engines?"

"Are you saying…" Miroku whispered. "…that…"

"That I ordered the plane crash to happen?" Naraku finished for him with a loud laugh. "Yes, I am. I was extremely lucky there was a storm that day. It made the crash even more fatal and helped cover up my tracks even better."

Miroku had previously been leaning against a wall, but now, he slid down onto the floor.

"Why?" he asked shakily. "Why did you do it?"

"To knock down obstacles in the way of getting the Shikon no Tama, of course," Naraku answered. "I moved to this town in the interest of gaining the Shikon no Tama. But obtaining the jewel was far easier than I had expected. Never would I have thought that one of your own students would leave you to join me and then betray you by exposing the location of the Shikon no Tama. Never would I have thought that a great opportunity to kill your parents would then arise. Never would I have thought that the Shikon no Tama would next be stolen _for_ me."

Miroku's blood began to boil as the pieces of information started to fit together in his mind. It all made sense now. Why hadn't he figured out all this sooner?

"You…" he finally said in a monotone voice. "…are a _bastard_, Naraku Onigumo. And you'll pay for messing with a Houshi."

"Wonderful. I hear vengeance in your voice. Does that mean you'll take my offer?" Naraku asked, ignoring the insult that had been directed at him. "Because if you are, then I hope to see you at my shrine on the night of mid-February."

"Well, I guess you'll find out my answer on that night then," Miroku said. Then, determined to not let Naraku have the last word, he hung up.

A/N: Next chapter is action-packed, I promise you that. And since my writing urge is stronger than ever (mostly due to the fact that the next chapter is the climax), expect an update soon. **:P**

By the way, thanks to everyone who read "All I Want For Christmas"! **:D**

Please review (so I can reach 1000 reviews for this fic)!


	20. Final Showdown

**Shrine of Love**

A/N: Sorry for the late update! But this chapter is seven extra pages longer than the usual length. **:D**

Anyway, this is it! The big climax!

* * *

:O:

VOCABULARY

Sifu-the Chinese term for "teacher" (whereas it's "sensei" in Japanese)

:O:

* * *

Chapter 20: Final Showdown

"You guys know what to do, right?" Miroku whispered in the dark.

"As if you didn't go over the plan 100 times already," Sango snapped.

The couple heard voices sigh quietly behind them.

"We're wasting time, you know," Kouga pointed out. "And I didn't volunteer to help you so that I could stand here all night to watch some quarrelling."

Kagome nodded beside him.

All four friends were hiding behind a large tree near the staircase of Onigumo Shrine. It was pitch black and close to 10 PM. All the lights in the neighborhood were off…except, of course, the lights of the shrine in front of them.

"Okay," Miroku continued, getting back to the issue at hand. "Obviously, Naraku has already taken away the large advantage of shadows."

"You can tell he was expecting us," Sango muttered as she peered up at the shrine buildings. "Look at all those lanterns-"

"That means that there'll be very few hiding places," Miroku interrupted. "And we have no idea where or when his students and him will strike. So that means-"

"That we have to just fight head on and stick together," Kouga finished. "You told us enough already."

"But our main objective is-" Miroku began again.

"To win this 'battle' so we don't end up as Naraku's students, and to distract our opponents while Kagome is searching for the jewel because she's the smallest one amongst us," Sango cut in. "Look, can we just get started?"

"Fine, fine," Miroku replied with a resigned voice. "Let's go."

As Kouga and Sango slung loops of ropes around their shoulders, Miroku turned to his cousin.

Kagome was staring at the shrine, her eyes blank and her face expressionless. Like him and the others, she was dressed in black clothes.

"Ready?" Miroku asked her. He saw her nod and added, "You _do_ know that I not only chose you to do the special task because of your size, but also because of your ability, right?"

He knew that she knew. Over the past month of intense training and preparation for this night, Kagome had shown impressive progress. And recently, she'd beaten him in several matches. He had no doubt that his cousin would receive a black-belt soon and in so little time.

Miroku cracked his knuckles and took a deep breath, "Let's do this."

* * *

"Coast is clear," Sango muttered. She, Miroku, and Kouga darted up the shrine's staircase.

Miroku glanced behind him and saw Kagome's figure disappearing around the corner of the shrine. She was heading to the back of the shrine, just like according to plan.

He, Sango, and Kouga slowed to a stop at the top step, their eyes scouring the shrine courts. There was no sign of life.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are…" Miroku said quietly.

He got his wish.

* * *

Kagome silently jumped over the brick wall in the back of Onigumo Shrine and swung up onto the nearest tree branch. The shrine looked beautiful in the front, especially during the last time she'd seen it at the New Year's festival…but in the back? Not so pretty. While Houshi Shrine had a gorgeous pond and grass, all Onigumo Shrine had were bushes and trees. Lots and lots of them.

But now that she thought about it, the bushes and trees were probably a good thing. She'd be able to hide even better from the enemy.

Kagome quietly jumped down and hid behind a bush to unnoticeably survey the area. She peered above the leaves and looked for any signs and sounds of movement. Nothing.

She guessed Miroku, Sango, and Kouga were still on the look out for an attack.

Truthfully, she wanted this all to be over with as soon as possible. This place creeped her out. And the small flickering fire lanterns just made it creepier.

Kagome closed her eyes as she scrolled through her options. What was the most likely place for the Shikon no Tama to be hiding?

With Naraku.

Kagome opened her eyes again and bit her lip in deep thought. Now, what was the most likely place for _Naraku_ to be hiding in?

She glimpsed at all the buildings in sight. Honestly, she had no clue. He could be hiding in any one of them. And she doubted he would be with his students. Kagome let out a soft sigh.

"Oh, well. I guess I'll have to search every building," she mumbled. And if she met up with an opponent, she'd pull a few attacks on them and continue on her way.

Kagome shifted her feet and made a move to stand…only to have a hand slap over her mouth from behind.

* * *

"Hey, Houshi," a female voice greeted, her voice echoing in the shrine courts.

Miroku, Sango, and Kouga diverted their eyes to the roof of a building that was more concealed in darkness than the others. The female jumped onto the ground and landed solidly on her feet.

It was Kikyo. Kagura and Yura emerged from the shadows soon afterward.

"Why, if it isn't the traitor and her friends," Sango snarled.

Kikyo sneered, "Watch your mouth. Trust me, you wouldn't want to make me mad before our fighting begins."

"And why is that?" Miroku asked suspiciously.

"Because it'll just make me put more force into my attacks," Kikyo remarked.

"Looks like someone's a _bit_ cocky here…" Kouga laughed. He narrowed his eyes. "Don't underestimate us. You're against three black-belts."

"Even so…do you have any experience in kung fu?" Kikyo asked innocently. Kouga opened his mouth to answer, but snapped it shut when Kagura suddenly rushed forward at him.

"Kagura, you take on Ookami!" Kikyo ordered. She shifted her view back to Miroku and Sango. "I'll take on this lovely couple with Yura."

"So, she's playing dirty now, is she?" Sango muttered as she glared at Kikyo.

"She's always played it dirty," Miroku grumbled. "She's the one who started this all, remember? Otherwise, we wouldn't be here tonight."

The two of them stood back to back as Yura and Kikyo advanced towards them from opposite sides. Miroku glanced to his side and saw that Kouga was already in the middle of laying a kicking routine on Kagura.

"Watch their fingers. Remember, they know acupressure," Miroku reminded Sango as Yura and Kikyo halted to a stop before them.

To his surprise, he felt her shift and a second later, he felt her quickly press her mouth on his check.

"Don't worry about me," Sango said, the hint of a smile in her voice.

Miroku blinked and bent into a fighting pose, a grin spreading across his face. He was definitely fired up now.

"Now…let's kick their butts," Sango said in a low voice.

"Let's."

And with that said, they both rushed forward.

* * *

Kagome viciously struggled to get the attacker's hand off her mouth, but it only made the person wrap an arm around her waist in an iron hold. And their hand was still fixed over her lips.

'Okay, calm down first,' she told herself. She abruptly stopped her thrashing, took a deep breath…and then released her wrath.

Kagome secured her fingers on the other person's hand that covered her mouth and yanked it away with all the strength she had. She felt the person's hand drop to their side for a brief moment…but a brief moment was all she needed.

She clamped her hands on the arm around her waist and twisted herself free from it, yet also keeping a firm hold on it.

"Aikido – second technique! _Nikkyo_!" Kagome exclaimed. She twisted the person's wrist and forced it downward. She felt her opponent flinch in pain at the joint lock she had created on their wrist joint.

Before letting go of the arm, Kagome put all her energy into a high kick. She inwardly smiled in triumph when she felt her foot's huge impact with the person's chest. Right when her foot made contact, Kagome let go of their arm. She watched with satisfaction when the force pushed the person hard against a nearby tree with a loud thud.

It was dark and all she could see was the person's figure, but she could still see that they were slumped in pain.

Then, right before she was about to open her mouth to demand where Naraku was, the person beat her to it, "Man, when did you learn _that_?"

Kagome stiffened. The voice was laced with pain, but she recognized it. Recognized it all too well.

"Inuyasha…?" she whispered. She refused to believe it was him. Yet, her vision came into better focus, and she soon found herself staring into a familiar pair of violet eyes. She took a moment to just look at him. He looked the same. The only difference was that his face showed signs of tiredness.

Before she could release all the anger she'd vented up in the past few months, her body betrayed her. She broke out crying. Inuyasha immediately stopped rubbing his sore wrist and took a step toward her.

"Kagome…" he said, his voice filled with concern. He laid his hands on her shoulder. That made her get a hold of herself.

She slapped his hands away and with swift speed, she lashed out her leg and slammed the bottom of her foot onto his chest, pinning him to the tree.

"Why didn't you pull away when Kikyo kissed you?" Kagome said in a low voice. To her surprise, his eyes softened.

"So…I'm guessing that you saw it happen, huh?" he smiled sadly. "You know…now isn't the good time to discuss this. We should be worrying about the Shikon no Tama. It's with Naraku in the main building."

Kagome felt her guard waver. How did he know where Naraku was? She narrowed her eyes and grinded her foot harder against him. It was then that she noticed the outfit he was wearing. It wasn't one of Houshi Shrine's Japanese-styled gi outfits. It was Chinese-styled.

Kagome's mouth ran dry.

"You've joined Onigumo Shrine," she whispered in disbelief. "I can't believe it. Out of all people…_you_."

Inuyasha sighed, "I guess…you're not going to let me go until I tell you everything, are you?"

When she didn't respond, he continued anyway.

"I didn't join the bad side…I only joined this place to figure out where the jewel was being kept in Onigumo Shrine," Inuyasha explained. "I stopped going to school so that Naraku wouldn't suspect anything…because if I had ANY contact with you, Miroku, or Sango, then everything would be blown."

"How do I know I can trust you? Especially after seeing you go to the bad side?" Kagome demanded stubbornly. "And you still didn't answer my question about Kikyo."

"Kag," Inuyasha said in a patient voice. Kagome twitched. No matter how mad she was at him, the warm feeling always rose inside her every time he called her by her nickname. "When did your eyes turn cold?"

"What are you talking about?" Kagome snapped. She watched as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I've hurt you long enough," Inuyasha suddenly said as he opened his eyes again. Kagome noted the change of tone in his voice. He was serious now. "So let's end this quick."

She watched warily as he reached behind his waistband…and pulled out a slick black gun.

And then trained it on her.

Kagome retreated her foot immediately as she stared in horror at the weapon Inuyasha held. Confusion swept over her when he dropped his serious expression and burst out laughing.

"Well, would you look at that. It worked," he chuckled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded shakily.

But Inuyasha only smiled at her. He stuck the gun back in his waistband. Then, he grasped onto one of her hands and pulled her toward the buildings in the distance. After several futile tugs, Kagome reluctantly followed him, allowing him to lead her wherever he was going.

The two of them were quiet for a brief period before Inuyasha broke the silence, "I'm supposed to be 'guarding' like that annoying traitor and her friends, but I found you instead."

"You sure you want to be calling Kikyo that?" Kagome sniffed. "Shouldn't you be calling her your _girlfriend_?"

This made Inuyasha halt to a stop. He spun around and gave her a grave look, "Don't ask that again. You're my girlfriend and you always will be…that is, until we get married."

Inuyasha grinned when Kagome turned her face away.

They started walking again.

"Besides," Inuyasha continued. "You have no idea how many times I had to rinse my mouth with mouthwash after that bitch kissed me."

"But you kissed back," Kagome pointed out sourly.

"Well, I'll tell you why later," Inuyasha answered. He tightened his hold on her hand. "What happened to the ring I gave you for Christmas? I thought you said you'd never take it off."

Kagome merely stared at his back as they walked. So Rin had delivered her message to him after all. Yet, she felt the anger that she'd temporarily forgotten rise up in her again.

"I wouldn't wear anything give by a cheater," she replied stubbornly. "And for all I care, you can have the ring back when this is all over."

Inuyasha merely sighed and shook his head in response.

They reached the door of a dimly lit shrine building. Kagome peeked around the corner and saw Kouga fighting Kagura in the distance. Inuyasha quickly yanked Kagome into a dark area.

"We have to be careful," he whispered. "Naraku can see our shadows through the paper shojo doors."

"Is that why he has all these small lanterns lit?" Kagome asked. She had to admit, Naraku was clever. "We aren't going to stay out here all night hoping that he comes out, are we?"

"No," Inuyasha murmured. "We're doing the complete opposite. We're coming to him."

"Then why be so careful if he's going to see us anyway?"

"Because he's armed."

That shut Kagome up. Naraku had a gun too?

She knew she was shaking because Inuyasha tightened his fingers around her hand. They quietly moved forward. Inuyasha silently slid the building's door open. No one was there.

"Where is he-" Inuyasha muttered as he looked around quickly.

A voice spoke up from behind the two, "Looking for me?"

"_Shit_," Inuyasha cursed as he whirled around. He shoved Kagome to the floor and quickly took a step to the side as Naraku fired his gun. The bullet pierced through the door that Inuyasha had previously been standing in front of.

"You're supposed to be guarding the jewel, Inuyasha…not helping to steal it," Naraku remarked dryly, the gun still poised in front of him.

Kagome's eyes were glued to the metal contraption. Her eyes flew over to Inuyasha. He had no sign of fear in his eyes.

"I'm so very sorry, sifu," Inuyasha replied sarcastically. "But I have no intention of helping someone who's sticking a gun right in my face."

He stepped in front of Kagome and went into a defensive stance.

"Now why don't you play fair and put your gun away," Inuyasha continued in an icy voice.

Naraku howled with laughter, "_Fair_? The word 'fair' was never part of my vocabulary and it never will be."

His mouth curled into a smirk and his eye took on an evil glint, "Why should I put away my gun if you're fully capable of dodging bullets? Besides, I want to see how well you've learned kung fu from me these past two and a half months."

"_What_?" Kagome gawked up at Inuyasha. "You've been training _here_?"

Seeing Kagome's shocked expression, Naraku grinned, "Looks like you've been keeping a lot from your ex-girlfriend, Inuyasha."

Naraku's grin faded into a deadly look, "Or at least, that's what you told me. But tell me, Inuyasha. If she's your ex-girlfriend, why are you protecting her?"

With that said, Naraku tightened his grip on his gun and aimed it at Inuyasha. However, right when he started pulling the trigger, a blur knocked Naraku's arm upward, the bullet shooting into the air.

"What the _hell _is going on-" Naraku started angrily. He whirled around to see who had snuck up behind him.

"Surprise," Miroku gritted, his arm drawn back. He sent his fist flying and smashed it hard into Naraku's nose.

Kagome stared as the force sent Naraku sprawling onto the brick ground. Her cousin had definitely broken Naraku's nose. She watched silently as Miroku began directing a fast series of punches at Naraku-so fast that Naraku couldn't retaliate even with his gun.

"_You bastard_!" Miroku shouted and then punched. "_I'll never give up Houshi Shrine!_ – punch – _And I will never forgive you for what you did to my parents_!"

After the last statement, Miroku sent his fist back as far as he could and then brought it forward with all his strength. His knuckles crashed full force into Naraku's jaw.

Despite the urge to join her cousin, Kagome knew-and she knew Inuyasha did too-that this was Miroku's fight. So, they both watched on gravely as Miroku took out all his anger…all his grief he had the past months…as he beat down Naraku.

When there was no fight left in him, Miroku lowered his fists to his sides and glared at the male who stood only a yard from him. Naraku slowly wiped the back of his hand against his bloody lip. And then he laughed.

"Is that all you've got?" Naraku hissed. He stuck his hand that wasn't holding the gun into a pocket and pulled out a small pouch that was sealed shut with a string. "Because that won't be enough to get this precious jewel back."

Miroku's eyes widened and then narrowed. He rushed forward with a yell.

However, Naraku suddenly outstretched his arm when Miroku came within reaching distance, and rooted a hand into the base of Miroku's neck. Then, with a strong press from Naraku's fingers, Miroku paled and fell face forward onto the ground, completely unconscious.

"Miroku!" Kagome immediately got up onto her feet with concern, but before she could run to her cousin, Inuyasha murmured her name.

"What?" she asked. Since the beginning of the conversation with Naraku, Inuyasha hadn't met her gaze with his. Right now, he turned his head and looked her straight in the eye.

"Remember the water balloon session on your birthday?" he asked.

Kagome narrowed her eyes, "Yeah. What about it?"

"Well," Inuyasha replied, turning his attention back to Naraku, who was heading back toward them with a sinister look and his gun still in hand. "Right now would be a good time to remember."

They both went into a defensive stance as Naraku halted to a stop in the same place he'd been before Miroku had arrived.

"I'd kill Houshi off, but it'd be so much more pleasurable for me if he woke up seeing his other loved ones dead," Naraku chuckled as he stuck the pouch containing the jewel back into his pocket. He fixed his gun on them and threateningly held a finger on the trigger. "Any last words from the traitor and his 'ex-girlfriend'?"

"Actually, yes," Inuyasha answered suddenly, surprising Kagome. "…Kagome's not my ex. She never was."

Inuyasha glanced back at Kagome and commanded, "Stay here."

With that said, he bolted forward. Naraku fired his gun. Kagome stifled her scream when she saw Inuyasha was okay. In fact, he had dodged it completely and was now in the middle of a high kick. His foot made contact with the hand Naraku was gripping the gun with. A moment later, the gun clattered to the ground. Before Naraku could grab hold of it again, Inuyasha kicked it backward.

Kagome watched as it skid to a stop a short distance away from her and looked back up at the two males fighting. She peered behind them and saw Miroku still unconscious on the floor.

"I should go help him," Kagome whispered. After all, Naraku wasn't the only one who knew acupressure here…not that he knew that fact yet. However, before she could walk over to Miroku, her eyes instinctively flew over to Inuyasha when she heard him speak.

"You want to see how well I've learned from you?" he asked Naraku. "Then I'll grant your wish."

She watched with curiosity as he moved into a stance completely unfamiliar to her. Even Naraku looked on with slight interest.

Then, with rapid swiftness, Inuyasha sharply jabbed his fingers into various parts of Naraku's body with multiple strikes so fast that Naraku had no chance to counterattack. After a minute, when Inuyasha finally paused for a second to rest, Naraku took the opportunity to flip away from reach.

"Hehe," Inuyasha laughed under his breath as he wiped away the trickle of sweat running down his face. "How'd you like experiencing 'Bo Sim Sau'?"

"Also known as 'searching insect hand'. I see you've learned the Southern Praying Mantis form," Naraku narrowed his eyes. "I must say, I'm impressed you've nearly mastered one of the hardest styles of kung fu with no help from me."

"Hey, as long as it would let me get back quicker to Kagome, I didn't care how hard it was to learn," Inuyasha grinned while Kagome reddened. He crouched down into another stance. "Now, let's see what _you've_ got, Naraku."

"Very well," Naraku answered. He moved into a position even lower than Inuyasha's. "Let's see how well you fare against my favorite form: the snake."

With a quick snapping movement, Naraku sent a high kick into Inuyasha's chin, sending Inuyasha sliding backwards a few feet. Naraku didn't waste anytime. He rushed forward and broke out into a series of punches. Now, Inuyasha was on the defense. He let out a hiss of pain and fell to his knees when Naraku jabbed a finger into one of his eyes.

Naraku drew back an arm for a punch, but when he brought it forward, Inuyasha blocked it solidly in the palm of his hand. Then, instead of letting go of the fist, Inuyasha closed his fingers around it in a tight grip. He glared at Naraku, the attacked eye slightly closed.

"Two can play at that game, Naraku," Inuyasha growled. "_Bic Saan_ – 'Lifting mountain'!"

He took his free hand and rapidly jabbed hard at pressure points within Naraku's punching arm and its connected shoulder. Naraku winced and glowered when he realized his punching arm was temporarily useless.

"_Biu Tze_!" Naraku roared. "Thrusting fingers!"

With fluid and snappy movement, just like a snake, Naraku used his functional arm and dug the point of his fingers deep into Inuyasha's neck and upper joints in continuous strikes. Inuyasha choked and flinched when Naraku kicked him onto the cold brick ground, his face to the floor.

"Now, since you kicked my gun away, I'll just take the gun I gave to you," Naraku cackled as he pulled out the gun that had been tucked in Inuyasha's waistband from behind. He directed it at Inuyasha's back and said. "Don't worry, I'll kill Higurashi right after you. Then you can both be together forever…in _death_."

Right before he pulled the trigger, however, he heard a voice behind him say. "You're forgetting one very important detail…"

Naraku spun around and saw Kagome glaring venomously at him.

"…I know martial arts too," she finished. And then she pulled back her arm and sent her fist crashing straight into his face. Naraku staggered backward, cursing.

"So, Naraku," Kagome said as she cracked her knuckles. "How familiar are you with aikido?"

"Somewhat knowledgeable," Naraku answered, getting back into his snake stance. She charged at him.

When she was within distance, she caught his arm before he could punch her.

"_Jujinage_!" she wrenched his arms together so that Naraku's arms were locked against one another. He let out a string of curses and broke free. Then, he drew back his arm to launch another punch.

Kagome blocked the incoming attack once again and firmly grabbed hold of his punching arm.

"_Kotegaeshi _– forearm return!" she shouted. She put all her force into twisting the single arm and heard several cracks.

Kagome smiled in triumph. She'd definitely broken a few bones in Naraku's punching arm and wrist.

'He should be easier to deal with now that his strongest arm is disabled,' she thought.

But she'd underestimated him. All too soon, she felt his other arm wrap around her neck in a suffocating headlock.

"That was fun," Naraku breathed heavily into her ear. "But if you keep interfering, Houshi will wake up before you and Takahashi are dead. And that'll spoil all my fun."

"You know – you have a really sick mind, Naraku," Kagome choked out. She struggled as Naraku tightened his hold around her neck.

"Let her go."

Both Kagome and Naraku looked in the direction where the voice had come from and saw Inuyasha standing a couple of yards away, pointing the gun he had kicked out of Naraku's hand earlier…straight at them.

"Let Kagome go, or I'll shoot you, Naraku," Inuyasha said in the most serious tone Kagome had ever heard him use.

"Sure, shoot at me," Naraku replied smugly. "And risk hitting Higurashi. In fact, it won't be a _risk_ at all. I'll make _sure_ it hits her."

Kagome held her breath as Inuyasha stared at her with his penetrating violet eyes. He made no movement for a long period of time.

Kagome's heartbeat quickened when she felt cold metal press against her scalp a moment later. She'd stomp his feet, but Naraku was holding her off the ground, so her feet were dangling in the air.

"Well, if you won't shoot, then I will," Naraku concluded, grinning down at Kagome's increasing struggles.

Kagome cursed herself. She was an idiot. She may have broken Naraku's arm and wrist so that he couldn't punch anymore, but he could still use his hand and fingers to hold a gun and use it.

She fell silent when Naraku continued his conversation with Inuyasha. "I'll give you one last chance. Let Higurashi die by the hand of you, her lover…or by _my_ hand."

Then, after a moment's hesitation, Inuyasha lowered his gun, "Go ahead, pull the trigger."

Naraku's jaw dropped.

Kagome stared at Inuyasha, dumbfounded. She felt tears fill her eyes. So he really didn't care about her after all. She felt Naraku regain his composure and clamped her eyes shut when he pressed the gun harder against her head.

"I'm serious, Takahashi," Naraku said threateningly. "I'm going to shoot her."

"I'm serious too," Inuyasha shot back. "Now, go ahead and shoot her."

Naraku narrowed his eyes at him for a moment longer and then looked down at Kagome with a growing grin.

"Sayonara." _Goodbye_.

And then he pressed the trigger.

* * *

"It's gotten awfully quiet," Sango murmured as she tightened the rope around an unconscious Kikyo. "Do you think Miroku and Kagome are okay?"

"I'm sure they're fine," Kouga assured her as he dragged a tied up Kagura, who was also out cold, toward Kikyo so that the two unconscious girls were leaning against each other. "We'll find out the answer soon, but we have to tie Yura up first."

"Right."

* * *

She was dead.

Right?

She'd felt a numbing blast against her head…but it hadn't been painful. And for some reason, she felt a trickle running down her head…but it was cold. Since when was blood cold?

Naraku had noticed that something was wrong too. He held up the gun to look at it and sputtered in shock, "What the _hell_ just happened-"

He jumped when a bullet shot a hole through the gun, making water squirt out. He diverted his eyes to Inuyasha, who had his gun redrawn.

"Like the water gun?" he chuckled. "My older brother Sesshoumaru ordered it to be personally made for me for tonight."

"Where's the gun I gave you?" Naraku demanded.

"With Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha grinned. "He used it to make the gun you're holding look identical to the original one."

Naraku let out a roar of rage and tossed the fake gun to the ground.

Meanwhile, Kagome felt new tears welling up in her eyes. Her fists trembled at her sides. He'd tricked Naraku…_and_ her.

She breathed in deeply and then screamed, "I HATE YOU INUYASHA!"

At the same time, she launched a punch straight up at Naraku's chin, releasing his hold on her. Kagome collapsed to the ground, trying to catch her breath.

Inuyasha took that open opportunity to his advantage and immediately dashed toward the distracted Naraku.

"_Go to hell_!" Inuyasha shouted as he brought his foot forward in a roundhouse kick. Kagome ducked with a shriek. She heard Inuyasha's foot make solid contact with Naraku's body, making him fly backward a good distance away and down for good. She looked on as Inuyasha turned his back on Naraku and gave her his full and undivided attention.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his eyes filled with concern.

"I'm fine," Kagome grunted, still mad at him.

Suddenly, a silver sliver shot through the air and pierced into Inuyasha's arm. He flinched in pain and pulled out the object quickly. It was a needle.

Naraku began laughing insanely behind them.

"Who gets the last laugh now?" Naraku smirked from the brick floor. "It's a poison dart. You'll pay for your betrayal, Takahashi. Your body will be paralyzed by the poison. It'll circulate through each part of your body until you can't move at all. And then…you'll die a slow and painful death."

"Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered in horror. "Are you alright?"

"I'm…fine," Inuyasha grimaced. He dropped to his knees and clenched his chest with a pained expression. The poison already seemed to be taking affect.

Kagome's mouth quivered. Then, she grabbed hold of the gun Inuyasha held and bolted toward Naraku.

"_How dare you hurt him_!" she screamed. She jumped and landed on Naraku's torso.

And then she went mad, landing punch after punch at Naraku's face until she was sure everything was broken or bruised. Then, she placed the point of the gun she possessed in between Naraku's eyes. "_Tell me the antidote for the poison_."

Naraku laughed and simply stated, "No."

Anger boiled inside Kagome. She pulled him forward by the collar and shook him hard.

"You _bastard_!" she screamed. "_Tell me the antidote before Inuyasha dies!_"

Naraku grabbed hold of her hand that contained the gun with surprising strength – he had more energy left than she'd thought – and then redirected it so that it was pointing at her.

"Then why don't you die together?" he asked, giving her a bloody smile as she sat deadly still. "I should have never trusted Inuyasha…actually, I never really even trusted him at all. Sure, he hadn't made any attempts to get back the jewel while training here at Onigumo Shrine…but I kept having a nagging feeling in the back of my mind. So that's when I decided to test him to see if he was really on my side. I knew he had devoted his love to you, so I told him to prove his loyalty to me by kissing Kikyo. So on New Year's Day, I ordered Kikyo to kiss him to see if he would kiss her back. And that was where I made my mistake. When he returned Kikyo's kiss, I fell for his act. Especially after you came, saw the scene, and ran away looking heartbroken."

Naraku narrowed his eyes, "So you're both at fault for fooling me."

He pulled the trigger. Kagome had a quick flashback of the water balloon session on her birthday and instantly snapped her head to the side as the bullet sounded. She'd dodged it.

However, she heard a loud clank and when she saw Naraku's dismayed expression, she rotated her head to see what the bullet had hit. Apparently, the bullet had hit one of the small fire lanterns that were stationed on the buildings all around the shrine. The lantern clattered to the wooden floor and the building soon caught on fire.

"My shrine…" Naraku rasped, his voice fading. "My shrine…is burning…"

Kagome whipped her head around to face him again.

"Wait," she said in a high, frantic voice. "Don't faint yet! _Tell me the antidote to the poison_!"

But he dropped the gun and his eyes rolled back into his head. He'd passed out from both the shock and loss of blood in his head.

"Naraku!" Kagome shook him again in hopes of waking him back up, but to no avail. She spotted the pouch that contained the jewel sticking out of his pocket and swiped it up, shoving it into one of her own pockets. Then, she got off Naraku quickly and ran back to Inuyasha.

He was laying on the ground now, his breathing short and shallow. Behind him, the burning shrine building crackled loudly, its flames leaping to the building next to it and spreading the fire.

Kagome kneeled down beside him and brushed away the hair from Inuyasha's face, tears refilling her eyes. "Inuyasha, how are you?"

He took in a shuddering breath and slowly turned his head to look at her.

"Kagome," he said in a soft, pained voice. He closed his eyes and turned his head away when he saw her tears. "I made you cry again."

"Don't move," Kagome choked on her tears. "It'll spread the poison even quicker."

She gently slipped her fingers around his and used her other hand to stroke his hair. She heard running in the distance, and Kouga and Sango shouting her and Miroku's name.

"We're going to get you to a hospital really soon," Kagome said, her voice trembling. "So right now, just fight the pain as best you can, okay?"

She forced a smile onto her face and joked, "If you die, I won't forgive you for kissing Kikyo."

She quickly glanced behind her and saw Sango helping a now conscious Miroku sit up while Kouga tied up Naraku. Her eyes flew back to Inuyasha when he murmured her name.

"I'm really sorry…for leaving you alone for so long…and for betraying you," he breathed.

Kagome shook her head, "I should be the one apologizing. It was me who thought you betrayed me. When you really didn't."

She bit her quivering lip, "I should've had more faith in you."

Inuyasha watched her silently as she burst out crying and then he whispered hoarsely, "Hey…bring your face down close to mine."

Kagome sniffed and did as he asked. She watched as he painfully lifted his arms to rest his hands on the sides of her face…and then used all his strength to lift his head from the ground and kiss her soft and long on the mouth. When he pulled away, Inuyasha released her face, laid his head back down, and winced at the throbbing pain that passed through his body.

Kagome slipped her hand around his again. His skin had turned dangerously cold. He slightly smiled when he saw the look of concern in her eyes.

"Kagome?" he said, his voice now barely audible, even though her face was only a few inches away.

"Yes?" Kagome answered, on the verge of crying again.

"Remember the tape…I gave you…on Christmas?" he asked. Kagome could tell that he was starting to force his words out. "The thing…about how…I had business……to take care of?"

Kagome nodded, tears streaming down her face.

"Well," he breathed softly. "My business…is done now."

He gritted his teeth and clenched hard on Kagome's hand as an enormous agonizing wave of pain swept over him.

Kagome felt herself panicking when she caught sight of sweat trickling down his face. She peered into his eyes and cried harder when she saw the tortured look in them.

Inuyasha closed his eyes.

"Kag…" he murmured through his lips. It was practically impossible to hear him now. His voice was fading. "I love you…"

He coughed.

"I always have……and I always…will…"

And then he gave one last heaving breath before his body went still and his hand slowly went limp in hers.

"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered unbelievingly. She shook him. He didn't move or say a single word. "Inuyasha, wake up."

She shook him again, calling his name over and over. The anguish she had held in all this time came out in large sobs. He couldn't be dead. He just couldn't. How would she finally beat him in a martial arts match? How would they get married?

She breathed in a shuddering sob and threw her head back, screaming her heart out into the silent night.

"_INUYASHA_!!!!!"

A/N: I'd say this is the worst cliffhanger in "Shrine of Love", yes? **XD** What will happen?

Hope this chapter was worth the wait. Thanks again for being patient with me, everyone! **:D**

Please review!


	21. Black Belt

**Shrine of Love**

A/N: Yes, I am alive. **:D** Though, I bet if I'd taken even longer than I already did to update, I'd be dead. Thank you so much for your reviews!

Chapter 21: Black Belt

_Ba-bump……ba-bump………ba-bump_

"He's losing heartbeat! Bring him to the emergency room!"

* * *

It was near midnight.

Kagome sat curled up in one of the seats in the hospital's waiting room, her face buried in her legs. She was still dressed in the black outfit that she'd worn for the showdown at Onigumo Shrine. Kouga had settled in a nearby seat and was sound asleep. A few feet away from her, Miroku and Sango were having a whispered conversation.

Kagome bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut as tears sprang up again for the hundredth time that night. She was so envious of her cousin and best friend. Nothing ever seemed to get in the way of their happiness together. For her, however, fate had thrown obstacle after obstacle at her love life.

Her happiness with Inuyasha never seemed to last long. Circumstances made him leave her a short time after they'd hooked up. And now…right when they'd been reunited, he was dying.

'What did I do to deserve all this?' Kagome asked herself as she cried silently, her shoulders shaking. 'I already had to go through the grief of my dad's death…now I have to face Inuyasha's death too?'

It wasn't fair. The empty part of her heart that had appeared right after her father's death had been refilled again when she'd met Inuyasha. But now that he was about to die…that hole inside her would double its size.

She felt hollow...like an empty shell. Kagome faintly recalled how Sesshoumaru had come to the shrine after the showdown, escorted by what looked like his own personal set of police. They had all scattered to the unconscious Naraku and his students, snapping handcuffs over their wrists and dragging them toward their police cars.

Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru had made his way toward Inuyasha, whom Kagome had been crying over, surrounded by Miroku, Sango, and Kouga. She remembered his expression when he'd seen his younger brother lying still on the ground. It had looked slightly shocked. She remembered paramedics taking Inuyasha away. She remembered the feel of Miroku and Sango pulling her up onto her feet and gently pushing her into a car. And then she found herself here in the hospital's waiting room.

"Kagome?"

She felt a pair of warm hands settle on her shoulders a moment later.

"Kagome?" the voice repeated. "Look at me."

When she didn't, she felt the person's hands slip off her shoulders and settle on the sides of her face instead, lifting her face up so that it was viewable.

It was Miroku. And Sango was next to him.

"Kami, she's a mess," Sango breathed.

Miroku didn't add anything to Sango's remark. He merely stared silently into Kagome's eyes. Then he smiled sadly and pulled Kagome into a hug. That mere action made her burst out into a new wave of tears.

"You've lost your warm, cheerful eyes," Miroku whispered. "I'm so sorry, Kagome. It's all my fault."

He tightened his hold around his cousin as she cried.

"I was worried that…if I had let you known what Inuyasha was up to…the plan to get the jewel back would be blown…" Miroku continued solemnly. "So that's why I always refused to give you a full, detailed answer about Inuyasha's sudden disappearance…but now you're like this…because I never truly took your feelings into consideration."

Kagome didn't answer. Miroku fell silent for minute before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the Shikon no Tama that Kagome had retrieved earlier in the night. He pulled his arms away from his cousin and took hold of one of her hands.

"Kagome, there's not much I can do for you at this moment," Miroku said softly. "But I _can_ give you hope…Inuyasha's not dead yet, Kagome. So instead of crying…wish for the best...so that Inuyasha will be able to see your smiling face when he wakes up."

With that said, Miroku placed the jewel in the palm of Kagome's hand and then closed her fingers around it.

"The Shikon no Tama is believed to grant its bearer one wish," Miroku recited. "And tonight, its bearer is you…what do you wish?"

Kagome still didn't answer. After a long period of silence, Miroku and Sango left her so she could be alone.

_What do you wish?_

Kagome almost laughed. Normally, she would've wished things that a typical girl would wish. Or maybe wish to beat Inuyasha in a match.

Or get married to him someday.

But tonight…she only had one wish in mind. It felt ridiculous to be making a wish on a little jewel, but for some reason, it felt like the only hope she had.

"I wish…Inuyasha continues to live after all of this," she whispered softly to herself, clenching the jewel tightly in her hands. "That's all I wish…"

Right now, she didn't care about the fact that he kissed Kikyo. Or that she was supposed to be mad at him. All she cared about was Inuyasha being alive and staying that way. So that she'd be able to see his smiling face…and hear him tell her those precious three words once again.

_I love you_.

"Um, excuse me?" a voice broke through her thoughts.

Kagome looked up with a start and saw a middle-aged female doctor standing before her. Behind the doctor, she saw Miroku and Sango stop their conversation, their faces showing anxious looks.

"Are you all here for Mr. Inuyasha Takahashi?" the doctor asked tiredly. Kagome nodded, her breath catching in her throat.

"Is he okay?" Miroku asked nervously.

The doctor held up a clipboard and looked down at the papers it held, "He's in critical condition."

Kagome felt the last of her hope seeping away.

"But he'll live," the doctor finished. She gave a small smile. "We managed to stop the poison before it reached his heart and lungs. He'll have to stay in the hospital for a week or two so that we can completely rid of the poison in his blood, but after that, he should be able to go back home."

The doctor lowered the clipboard she held and gave a small nod of her head as she said goodbye and left. Kagome stared at the doctor's retreating figure and felt a burst of happiness. Inuyasha was going to be fine.

As Miroku and Sango loudly let out a cheer, Kagome felt a small crack in her fingers. She had forgotten that she was holding the Shikon no Tama. She uncurled her fingers to look at the jewel.

It had broken in half.

* * *

A week passed. It was now the end of February.

Kagome looked up at the burned remains of Onigumo Shrine. Most of the buildings had burned down and the sakura trees were now black and flowerless. There was a sign in front that said the shrine would be demolished in order to build new apartments in the area…which wasn't exactly a sad thing. Kagome wanted to forget everything about this place.

She sighed and kicked the brakes up on her bike, pedaling off at full speed towards Houshi Shrine. It was the first time in awhile since she came to the shrine on Saturdays. There really was no need for her to come anymore. Sango had practically taken over both her and Inuyasha's duties.

But Miroku had insisted Kagome yesterday to come to the shrine because he had important things to give and show her.

Houshi Shrine came into view. Kagome kicked down the brakes on her bike again and climbed off her seat. She ran up the steps and smiled at the sight of her cousin sweeping the shrine courts.

"Kami, Sango's done wonders on you," Kagome laughed. "Now if only she could help you stop your lecherousness."

Miroku rolled his eyes, "Hi to you too."

Kagome smiled affectionately at her cousin, "So, exactly why did you want me to come here today?"

"Go to the intermediates' training room and wait for me there," Miroku replied. "I have two things for you. I'll finish up in a few minutes."

Kagome gave him a suspicious look, but followed his order and headed to the shrine dojo. She walked to the intermediates' training room and stopped in front of the closed door.

"It's been awhile…" she whispered to herself.

She hadn't been in the room in what felt like ages. The last time she had been in it was the night they had all discovered the Shikon no Tama had been stolen.

Kagome cautiously set her fingers on the frame of the shojo door and slid it open. As she stepped inside, she flicked on the light switch and surveyed the training room as it flooded with light. All the training rooms of the Houshi Shrine dojo looked the same. But out of all of them, this room held the most importance to her.

Kagome walked to the center of the room and sat down on the floor. After a few minutes, when there was still no sign of Miroku, she sighed and lowered herself into a laying position. She stared at the ceiling, deep in thought.

After the showdown at Onigumo Shrine and the drama at the hospital, she, Miroku, and Sango had been informed by Sesshoumaru that Naraku had been put in jail and would have to serve a lifetime in prison because of his crimes and murder plots. Kikyo and her friends had to serve three years in prison because they had been aware that Naraku was in the yakuza and were willing accomplices in his schemes.

Kagome's mouth twitched. At least she wouldn't be seeing Kikyo for awhile. Though she had to admit, she _might_ miss fighting against her a little…however, she'd never forgive Kikyo for kissing Inuyasha.

Kagome shook her head to clear the thought out of her mind and forced herself to think of other things. She'd visited Inuyasha a few times at the hospital. He seemed to be recovering well since he was constantly complaining about being stuck in bed.

Her mouth curled into a smile, "Inuyasha…"

She allowed her mind to slip into her memories of him…all the way back to when she first met him in this very room…when she had first went shopping with him…when he taught her how to dance…when they shared their first kiss…and when he'd given her a promise ring…

It was several minutes later when she finally heard the opening of the door and entering footsteps.

"It's about time," Kagome snapped, still laying down and looking up at the ceiling. She blinked when Inuyasha's face suddenly came into her view, hovering over her face.

"Time for what?" he asked.

Kagome blinked, not believing who she was seeing.

"I'm dreaming," she said. Inuyasha reached out a hand and pinched her hard on the cheek. Kagome flinched in pain. That had hurt…which meant…

Kagome scrambled up onto her feet with a squeal, "It's really you! You're back!"

She threw her arms around Inuyasha, knocking the both of them onto the floor.

Inuyasha's face twisted into a pained expression, "Watch the arm."

Kagome drew back instantly, "Sorry."

She looked on with confusion when he laughed and tugged her forward, pulling her into a warm embrace. Kagome's eyes grew moist. She circled her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest.

"I missed you," Inuyasha said softly.

"I did too," Kagome whispered. Her fingers tightened on his jacket. "More than you can imagine."

"Believe me, I had it worse," Inuyasha murmured. "You got to hang around Miroku and Sango. _I_, on the other hand, had to see Naraku and Kikyo's faces everyday."

"Well…I guess that makes things even between us then," Kagome agreed. She blinked and pushed herself away from him. "Wait. No it doesn't. Don't you dare avoid the fact that you kissed Kikyo."

"I _had_ to!" Inuyasha protested. "If I didn't, the whole plan to get back the jewel would've been a failure!"

"Then we could've thought up of another plan. Besides, we managed to get back the jewel anyway."

Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest and glared, "Yes, we got the jewel back. And, from what I've heard, a certain person I know managed to break it. All that effort I put in was wasted."

"Well, if I'd known you were going to give me _that_ kind of attitude, maybe I shouldn't have made that wish on the jewel after all," Kagome shot back, jabbing a finger into his chest. "You dumb, ungrateful-"

Her words were cut off when his mouth suddenly crushed against hers. A familiar warm feeling erupted inside her, a feeling that had disappeared from her when Inuyasha had left, and it made her eagerly kiss back.

She'd missed him. She'd missed him a lot. And now that he was right before her, she wanted to keep kissing him and make up those long months without him. Inuyasha was the first to pull away.

"Okay, as much as I'd love to continue our reunion, we still have some business to attend to," he said, slightly breathless.

"What business?" Kagome blinked, her arms still around his neck. Inuyasha lightly pried her arms off him.

"If I'm correct, Miroku told you he'd be here…and that he had two things for you, right?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome nodded, reminded once again why she was at Houshi Shrine in the first place.

"And he's still not here," Kagome muttered with annoyance.

"Well, he doesn't have to be," Inuyasha smiled. "Because I was one of the two things he was talking about. And he wants me to be the one to give you the second thing."

"Oh," Kagome replied. A suspicious expression formed on her face. "What's the other thing…"

Her voice trailed off when Inuyasha reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a black belt, holding it in front of her on the palm of his hands.

"I heard about your training with Miroku," Inuyasha said. "He told me you've done an outstanding job…and that you managed to beat him in some matches. So it's time."

Kagome held her breath and stared down at the belt he still held before her.

"I, Inuyasha Takahashi, proudly present this black belt to you, Kagome Higurashi, who has passed the advanced level of martial arts here at Houshi Shrine," Inuyasha stated.

A minute passed and Kagome still hadn't taken the belt.

"I don't want it," she finally whispered.

Inuyasha frowned and lowered his hands, "Why not?"

Kagome's hands clenched into fists at her sides. She'd reached black belt level…didn't he know what that meant?

"I won't…be able to train with you anymore," Kagome answered, her eyes filling with tears. "Especially when you start new lessons and get new students. We'll have less time with each other."

"Who said we'll stop training together?"

Kagome's head snapped up. Inuyasha was grinning at her.

"I need an assistant teacher when the new lessons start up. Wanna take the job?" he asked.

When she threw her arms around him and started kissing him, he took it as a yes.

* * *

"Please remind me why I'm here again," Inuyasha grumbled.

"_You're_ the one who chose your own fate," Miroku reminded him. "It's not my fault you signed up for the prince role. And just because you don't want to be here, _do not_ screw up our class's chance of winning the prize for having the best play."

It was early spring. They were both dressed in their costumes. The day of the school festival had finally arrived and they were soon about to perform.

"So," Inuyasha said, trying to change the subject. "I heard Sango took care of the cooking while I was gone."

"Yeah," Miroku nodded. "Though I have to admit, I miss yours and Kagome's cooking sometimes."

Inuyasha smiled at his best friend. "Missed me that much, huh?"

"Sango's cooking is good…but I'm getting a little tired of sushi," Miroku said thoughtfully. He didn't notice when Inuyasha made a slashing movement across his throat, telling him to shut up. "It gets a little boring once in awhile too when I'm just with her. I mean, when you and Kagome were there, I'd always be entertained by your bickering-"

"I'm boring, am I?" a cold, icy voice sounded from behind him.

Miroku slowly turned around and smiled nervously at his girlfriend, "Why, hello, Sango dear."

She glared daggers back at him.

Inuyasha snuck off before he was caught in between the argument that was surely going to arise. In the process, he bumped into someone.

It was Kagome. She smiled, "Hey, I was looking for you."

Since they had a feudal era spin off for their play, they were both dressed in feudal era clothes. Inuyasha was dressed in a red kimono, a sword rested at his side, and Kagome was dressed in priestess garments.

"Nervous?" he asked.

She laughed, "Definitely. I might screw up my lines."

Inuyasha gave her a smug look, "Well, if I 'mess up' on the kissing scene, I'll gladly redo it until I get it right."

He chuckled when she blushed and then leaned down to brush his mouth against hers. A fist suddenly collided with his head.

"Get a room," Kouga yawned as he passed Inuyasha.

"Get a life," Inuyasha countered.

Kagome rolled her eyes at the two arguing males and turned when she heard Ayame giggling at her side.

"You look beautiful," Kagome complimented Ayame. "You really do look like a queen. I love your kimono…and I especially love the flower in your hair."

Ayame blushed a deep red, "Thanks. Kouga gave it to me."

Kagome smiled, "Are things going well between you two?"

Ayame nodded, still blushing.

All conversations and arguments stopped when Ms. Kaede loudly cleared her throat. When nothing but silence was heard, she smiled, "It's show time."

* * *

Every scene of the play went through without a hitch.

The detailed and vivid stage background immediately caught the audience's interest in the beginning of the play. By the time the cast came out, they already had the audience's full and undivided attention.

Kikyo and her friends had shortly been replaced by three other girls in the class, yet they all performed well as if they'd been assigned the roles since the beginning.

The tension between Inuyasha and Kouga – who was supposed to act as the prince's father – gave off a vibe of a son rebelling against his father, rather than a loving relationship…but for some reason their tension seemed humorous to the crowd.

Then, as the love story unraveled, the audience went quiet. Kagome played her flute - the flute Inuyasha had given to her months before – and then it was just Inuyasha and her when he stepped on stage.

When it came to the part where they had to dance, Kagome was scared she'd forgotten the steps. Yet, when her hands slid into Inuyasha's, and when his fingers intertwined hers, all their dance lessons together came rushing back at her. As the music started up and they started to dance, she stared deep into Inuyasha's violet eyes and felt herself being pulled back into the world where they were both alone and oblivious to anything and anyone around them.

At one point, Kagome glanced over Inuyasha's shoulder during their dance and spotted her mother, grandfather, and Souta in the crowd. All of them, even her grandfather who usually expressed disproval toward Inuyasha, were intrigued.

Inuyasha gave Kagome's hand a light squeeze before they both parted for the next scene. And then the action parts came. Inuyasha gracefully fought the evil miko's minions, which were most likely members of the katana club.

'He's improved,' Kagome noted in her head as she watched him from the side of the stage, behind the curtain. Not only had Inuyasha practiced martial arts during his stay with Naraku. He had definitely practiced his swordsmanship too.

She peeked out at the audience when she heard familiar voices shouting from the crowd. Near her family sat Rin and Shippou, both of them bursting out with a cheer every time Inuyasha landed a hit on his opponents. Sitting beside them, Sesshoumaru stared directly at his brother with analytical eyes, probably looking for mistakes in Inuyasha's handling of the sword that he could later bother his younger brother about.

And then the kissing scene arrived. Kagome lay on a bed of flowers, her eyes closed, and her heart strangely thumping at a fast pace.

Why was her heartbeat so rapid? And then she realized with terror that this reminded her somewhat of the night Inuyasha had said goodbye and left, never to be seen again for a few torturous, long months.

She knew her hands, which were resting on her stomach, were slightly trembling. She heard Ms. Kaede's voice flowing out through the speakers as she narrated the scene. And then a moment later, she felt Inuyasha's calming touch on her shaking hands.

Then, she felt his lips on hers in a kiss that was just as sweet and long as that one night, only, it didn't contain a trace of sadness this time.

On that night so long ago, when she'd woken up after the kiss, he'd disappeared from sight. But now, when her eyes flickered open, Inuyasha's laughing eyes gazed back at her. And that's when she knew he was here for good…that he wasn't going to leave her ever again.

* * *

"I knew we'd win!" Miroku cheered. "A toast to our class's victory!"

"Kami," Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "What's there to celebrate? All we won was a free soda for every person in the class."

"It's still a victory," Miroku replied, optimistic as ever. "Though I have to admit, the seniors might have won if their leads for Romeo and Juliet had cooperated with each other...if they'd had better chemistry…"

The four friends, back in school uniforms, were under the oak tree that they usually hung out under during lunch. Kagome silently finished the rest of her soda and stared watchfully at the school festival that was still in motion.

"It was fun today, wasn't it?" Sango asked beside her.

Kagome smiled, "Yeah."

Sango shifted so that she was facing Kagome completely, "You know…you have no idea how much it makes me happy to see you back to normal."

Sango's mouth lifted in a small smile, "I guess that's the power of love. It really can do miracles…"

Kagome took hold of her best friend's hands and replied, "_I'm_ happy that you've found someone to fill the holes in your heart…the holes that formed after your parents died."

"Oh believe me, you had a part in the filling process too," Sango said reassuringly. "It's just…"

Her eyes drifted off toward Miroku, who was still talking to Inuyasha.

"He's helped me just as much as I've helped him. We've both experienced the same thing so we know how the other feels. I really do love him…" Sango continued quietly, a soft expression in her eyes. Her face twisted into a small scowl. "…even though he's a lecherous womanizer."

Kagome laughed and Sango soon joined in. Then, Sango stood up, taking her and Kagome's empty soda cans and said, "I'm going to check out the festival for awhile."

Then she turned and yanked the end of Miroku's hair, "Come on. I want another soda."

And then Sango strode off toward the school festival, towing Miroku by his hair and ignoring his loud "Ow ow ow!"

Kagome laughed again and then watched in curiosity as Inuyasha stood up and climbed up the tree. When he settled on his usual branch, he motioned her to climb up too. Kagome did so with little difficulty. When she reached the thick branch he sat on, he firmly grabbed her by the waist and drew her close to him.

For awhile, they were both quiet, Inuyasha resting his back against the tree's trunk and Kagome leaning back against Inuyasha's chest. It was strangely quieter up in the oak tree, when just below, a school festival was going on.

Inuyasha's arms wrapped firmly around her waist and he rested his head on top of hers.

"It's been awhile since I've been up here," he finally remarked.

"You and me both," Kagome responded.

It was silent for a minute.

"So," Inuyasha began. "I'm really happy that you didn't forget the dance moves I taught you. You did really good for the rest of the play too…except, why were you trembling during the kissing scene?"

Kagome didn't answer.

"Is it because I'm a bad kisser?" Inuyasha gasped, feigning horror. Kagome smacked his arm.

"No," she rolled her eyes. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I was shaking because…it reminded me of when you kissed me and told me goodbye that night."

She felt him tense and immediately regretted bringing the topic up. When he didn't say anything after awhile, she carefully turned around and looked at his face. He had a hurt expression in his eyes.

Kagome immediately apologized, "I'm sorry. Forget what I just said."

Inuyasha took in a deep breath and then exhaled slowly, "No. I will forever feel guilty for leaving you like that…and for so long."

And then he took her hand and rested it against his cheek.

"And what's worse, I made you cry – who knows how many times – after I left," Inuyasha murmured, his eyes closed. "Right after I promised myself to never make you cry ever again…after the time you cried because I avoided you when I had thought you kissed Kouga back. It really hurt me to see you cry."

His eyes opened again and locked with hers.

"I swear, I'll never leave you like that again," he promised softly with a serious look on his face. "Never in eternity."

They both fell silent, just staring steadily at each other.

Finally, Kagome took in a shaky breath and asked, "Is that a proposal, Inuyasha Takahashi?"

The seriousness in his face faded away. He grinned. "It might be,"

"Well, I wouldn't marry you anyway until I beat you in a match," Kagome replied stubbornly. "And I can't face you in a match because you won't let me!"

"My arm still needs healing after the poisoning incident," Inuyasha replied innocently.

"But you were able to do those sword scenes and climb this tree," Kagome scoffed.

"The doctor only told me to take a break from martial arts."

"You just don't want to face me because you know you'll get your butt kicked."

"Or maybe you just want to challenge me now since I'm not fully healed and will be easier to beat," he suggested. Kagome let out a small shriek when he pressed his mouth against the curve of her neck, her one weak spot.

Inuyasha pulled away with a laugh, "Even _if_ you're better than me at martial arts now…I can always use your weak spot against you."

Kagome narrowed her eyes, "That's low."

"I know."

"Dumb flirtatious_ jerk_."

Inuyasha leaned back against the tree again and gave her a satisfied grin, "It is _so_ good to be back."

A/N: Aah! Only one chapter left! The epilogue! Again, I apologize for the long update **XD** The epilogue will be shorter than the usual chapter length, so it _should_ be up in a few weeks. Though I won't promise because I'm so busy this school year and I was lucky to even _find_ some spare time to finish this chapter. But, I _can_ promise one thing for sure: this story will definitely end in the month of November. Then I'll be starting a new Christmas fic in December. **:D**

Please review!


	22. Epilogue: Shrine of Love

**Shrine of Love**

A/N: This is it, the final chapter. **:(** I want to thank everyone who has supported me (especially those who put up with my long updates) throughout this whole story. Thank you again, everyone, for your reviews. They keep me motivated and writing. **D**

Epilogue: Shrine of Love

It was a bright and sunny Saturday morning.

Kagome and Inuyasha steadily pushed their bikes along as they both headed to the park. At a red light, the two slowed to a stop.

"Man, it feels good to be on summer vacation," Inuyasha said as he stretched his arms. He glanced over at Kagome and saw her glaring at him over the ice cream cone she was eating.

"Yeah, it's summer vacation," Kagome scowled. "Which means sleeping in. But _someone_ decided to wake me up at 7 AM today."

Inuyasha frowned, "You're still angry about that? I thought you said you'd forgive me if I took you to Rin's Ice Cream."

Kagome stuck her tongue out at him, "I lied."

Inuyasha merely smiled in return. Both of them pushed their bikes forward when the light turned green.

"Rin looked really happy to see you again," Inuyasha remarked. "We haven't been to her shop in weeks."

"What can I say?" Kagome shrugged, finishing up the ice cream she held. "Miroku doesn't really need us anymore. Sango takes care of his meals now and she miraculously got him to take care of all the cleaning duties."

"Which is why they need our help to advertise the new sessions coming up at Houshi Shrine."

"You didn't have to drag _me_ along. You could've easily put up the flyers and done live demonstrations on your own," Kagome rolled her eyes. They had reached the park. Both of them chained their bikes and then took a seat on a bench.

"Well, would you rather sleep in or spend some time with me?" Inuyasha asked.

"Sleep in," Kagome answered with no hesitation. When she saw his eye twitch, she laughed.

"I'm kidding," she said with a smile. Kagome rested her head on his shoulder. "I'd rather spend some quality time with you."

For awhile, the two silently watched the group of kids playing soccer on the grass a short distance away.

"So the new lessons start in a month," Kagome stated. "Did you know my mother is forcing my brother to take lessons at Houshi Shrine?"

"Yeah. I saw his name in the new registrations list," Inuyasha replied. He suddenly broke out into a grin. "Funny. Weren't _you_ forced to take lessons at Houshi Shrine too?"

"As a matter of fact, I was."

"Do you regret it?"

Kagome turned her head to look up at Inuyasha, only to find him staring back at her.

She sat up and took a deep breath, "Well. Truthfully, I wanted to train at my family's shrine. I mean, why train somewhere else if you already live in a place that offers martial arts lessons?"

Kagome looked away with a blush, "But that was what I thought at first. When the lessons started, I had fun…and I met _you_."

"And why, may I ask, does your voice have a hateful tone?" Inuyasha raised an eyebrow.

"Because you won't grant me the first of my two wishes!" Kagome answered angrily. "How can I finally beat you if you won't even let me face you in a match!"

"Well, my arm hasn't healed completely yet," Inuyasha replied in his usual innocent tone.

"You've been saying that for weeks," Kagome scoffed. "We both perfectly know that your arm is healed."

Inuyasha leaned back against the bench and stared up at the blue sky, "What's your second wish?"

Kagome blinked, "My second wish?"

"You just said I wouldn't grant you the first of your two wishes. The first is to beat me in a match. What's the second?"

Kagome reddened and turned away, hiding her face from view.

"I'm not telling," she said stubbornly. Inuyasha gave a soft laugh.

A second later, Kagome felt his mouth brush against her neck.

"Would you tell me if I let you beat me in the martial arts demonstration we're about to give in a few minutes?" he murmured.

Kagome scooted a good length away and glared at him, "_Let_ me beat you? No. I don't want to beat you because you _let_ me. I want to beat you fair and square."

Inuyasha merely smiled at her before he stood up and stretched. He exhaled slowly and then looked down at Kagome, who was still sitting on the bench.

"Well," he said. "Prepare to be brutally defeated then."

Kagome cracked her knuckles, "Oh, you're _on_."

* * *

After taking a deep breath, Kagome left the girls' changing room. When she stepped into the main hallway, she saw Inuyasha leaning against the wall, his forehead wrinkled in deep thought. When he saw her, a smile lit up his face.

"Ready?" he asked her.

Kagome nodded at him, tightening the sash around her waist. When she glanced down at her black gi, Inuyasha grinned.

"Feels weird to be wearing an instructor's uniform, huh?" he asked.

"No kidding."

"You'll get used to it," Inuyasha laughed. "Let's go…otherwise we'll be late."

They both started walking towards the shrine dojo. Kagome glanced through the open door of the beginners training room and saw Kouga teaching a large group of new students. Among the first row of students were Shippou, Rin, and Ayame.

From what she'd recently heard, all three were doing well and would – no doubt – advance to the intermediate level soon.

Kagome smiled and turned her attention back in front. When the destination came into view, she slowed to a stop. For a moment, it was quiet. A few yards away, she could hear Miroku and Sango's voices instructing their students in the advanced training room.

It felt weird. A few months ago, she had been a student training in that very room. But now, she was returning to the intermediates training room – the room she had started in since the beginning of her training here at Houshi Shrine.

She was brought back to the present when Inuyasha flicked her forehead with his fingers.

"This is no time to be dazing off. What will the students think if one of their teachers looks like an absent-minded idiot?" he remarked, beginning to slide the door open. Kagome smiled guiltily and followed behind Inuyasha as he stepped through the open doorway.

About ten students sat on the floor, roughly more boys than girls. Among the boys sat Kagome's brother, Souta, and Sango's younger brother, Kohaku.

"Hi, everyone," Inuyasha greeted. All the students rushed onto their feet and bowed.

"Good morning, sensei," they all replied.

Inuyasha glanced at Kagome, "They're so much politer than you were on your first day."

Kagome rolled her eyes. Inuyasha shot her a sly grin and turned back to the students.

"You guys can call me by my first name: Inuyasha. No need to call me 'sensei'," he continued. "And I humbly apologize for the delay. You can blame my tardiness on my assistant instructor over here."

Kagome shot him a glare.

"Are you sure they're boyfriend and girlfriend?" one of the kids whispered to Souta.

Kagome bowed to the group of students, "Hello, everyone. I'm Kagome. You can call me by my first name too."

She lifted her head up and smiled, "I look forward to working with all of you."

After that, short introductions of each student were made. Once the last person finished, there was a moment of silence until one of the students spoke up, "What now?"

Kagome watched as all eyes turned to Inuyasha. When she shifted her own eyes to him, however, she saw that he was looking directly at her.

"How about a match?" Inuyasha asked. "Me and you."

Kagome's breath caught in her throat.

He was proposing a match. An official match.

"Fine…but you better not cheat and use my weak spot against me like you did at the park a few weeks ago," Kagome said firmly.

"Of course," Inuyasha smiled innocently, cocking his head to one side. He turned to the students to say, "Pay close attention. It's a little 'preview' of what you guys should be able to do one day."

All ten kids nodded eagerly and sat restlessly on the floor, excited for the match to begin.

Kagome took her place at one side of the room and waited patiently as Inuyasha took his. Her hands clenched into fists. Her chance of officially beating him had finally arrived.

It was now or never.

"One round, anything goes," Inuyasha said to her, already getting into a stance. "And this time…I'll use full force in my attacks."

Kagome lowered herself into her own fighting pose and felt her surroundings disappear, her senses honing down on Inuyasha alone, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

And then, like a bullet, Inuyasha darted forward. Kagome saw him draw back his punching arm and brought her hand forward to block his punch in time…but she was too slow to stop his follow up attack.

One moment, she had been staring at him face to face…the next, she felt his foot collide with her back, sending her sprawling onto the floor on the other side of the room. And boy did it hurt…a lot more than it usually did. Inuyasha hadn't been lying when he said he'd use his full strength.

Kagome sat up, ignoring the intense pain that rippled throughout her body, and got back onto her feet. Inuyasha was already headed towards her again. She sucked in a deep breath and then bolted in his direction.

When they were both within reaching distance, Kagome launched a straight punch, making full contact with the side of Inuyasha's face. However, before she could pull her hand away, he grabbed her arm and yanked her forward. He was grinning.

"Nice one," he said. But a moment later, his smile vanished and Kagome felt herself being flung over his shoulder. Her body slammed onto the wooden floor for the second time in the match. By the time she stood up again, Inuyasha was there waiting…with another attack.

The second she had caught sight of him again, she felt his foot blast up into her jaw. The force sent her staggering backwards a few steps. She pulled a back flip and managed to get herself a good distance away from him.

Kagome felt a drop of sweat trickle down her face. She was losing bad. Parts of her body throbbed with pain, and she was already exhausted. Defeating Inuyasha would be harder than she thought. His skill was definitely higher than that of Miroku and Sango.

If she wanted to beat him, she'd have to catch him off guard – which meant only one thing.

'I can't use the moves he taught me,' she realized.

She'd have to use aikido. For a split moment, Kagome panicked. Up to now, she had been relying on the techniques that Inuyasha taught her. Was her aikido alone enough to defeat him?

Yet Inuyasha didn't give her time to think. He was already in the middle of launching another attack. Kagome lowered herself into a new stance. When Inuyasha brought his fist forward, Kagome caught his wrist and grabbed hold of his elbow with her other hand.

"First technique – _Ikkyo_!"

With that, Kagome sharply yanked his arm downward and heard him hiss in pain. Despite the successful attack she'd done, however, Inuyasha twisted himself into a position that was to his advantage and soon, Kagome found herself in a headlock.

"Finally," she heard Inuyasha say. "You realized that you can't use the very moves I taught you if you want to win."

Kagome struggled to free herself from his grip, choking for air when he tightened his arm around her neck. She was quickly getting light-headed. Before, she had been able to free herself from headlocks by head-butting her opponents – but she was in no position right now to pull off one. Kagome mentally scrolled through the aikido attacks she knew and one suddenly came to mind.

She slid her fingers across his arm and grabbed hold of his fisted hand. With as much strength as she could muster, Kagome twisted his wrist, hoping aikido's third technique – _Sankyo_ – would cause penetrating tension to spiral up Inuyasha's arm. And it did. Inuyasha's hold immediately loosened.

While keeping a firm hold on his wrist, she whirled underneath his arm and landed a strong kick directly in his stomach. Inuyasha fell to his knees, the air knocked out of him. Before she could inflict anymore attacks on him, he flipped out of her reach.

One side of Kagome's lip curled up. Inuyasha was on the defense now. She let him catch his breath for a minute – truth was, she needed to catch her breath too.

When she saw Inuyasha straightening himself up again, she decided to enforce an attack while his guard was still down. She swiftly dashed forward and launched a punch. Yet, in the middle of her attack, the side of Inuyasha's curled hand sharply slammed into her arm and stopped her attack, his other hand securing her arm in place.

"Got you," he smiled. And then the back of his curled hand crashed into the point of her chin. Kagome bit her lip as a searing pain shot through her skull. One of his knuckles had hit her like a piercing needle.

"I never really let you experience my kung fu yet, have I?" Inuyasha asked thoughtfully, still holding onto her. "That was Fook Sao – the subduing hand. Hurts, doesn't it?"

Kagome glowered at him in reply, her head tilted back and away from Inuyasha's still outstretched fist. No wonder why his last attack had hurt so much. He'd used kung fu to hit one of her pressure points.

With her free hand, she clamped onto his arm that secured her punching arm and attempted to escape his hold. Unexpectedly, Inuyasha released her completely and lowered himself into a new pose.

"_Pai Sau_!" he shouted, and then he went into a series of fierce punches and jabs. With difficulty, Kagome tried dodging or blocking each one.

'Damn, he's quick,' she thought, gritting her teeth when Inuyasha made contact with her shoulder and struck another of her pressure points. Inuyasha pulled his arm back for a full force blow. Right before she could recover from his previous attack, Inuyasha sent his fist flying.

It hit Kagome in the stomach and knocked the air out of her, just like she'd done to him earlier in the match. As she panted and clutched her stomach, she realized she was losing this match. She saw Inuyasha heading towards her again.

'I refuse to lose,' Kagome narrowed her eyes and planted her feet firmly to the ground, feeling a burst of adrenaline flow throughout her body.

Inuyasha launched another punch. This time, Kagome was ready and solidly blocked his punch in her palm.

"_Katadori Menuchi_!" she exclaimed, grasping his arm with both hands. She jerked his arm up, whirling herself until she was behind him, the action causing him to lose his balance. "Shoulder strike throw!"

And with all her energy, she thrust the edge of her palm into his shoulder, sending him face down to the floor.

To stop him from standing again, Kagome slammed her foot's heel deep into Inuyasha's shoulder blade. She saw him attempt to get up, but he lowered his head to the floor again with a resigned sigh.

And then it was silent. All Kagome could hear was her heavy breathing.

Then, the students in the room broke out into applause. Kagome slowly withdrew her foot and turned away so that her back was facing everyone. Inuyasha sat up and grinned in Kagome's direction, yet the smile faded from his face when he saw her head was hanging. "Kagome?"

Inuyasha walked to Kagome's side and laid his hands on her shoulders. He gently turned her around. She was crying.

"I-I finally b-beat you," she stammered through her tears. Inuyasha pulled her into a hug.

"That's right, you finally beat me," he murmured into her hair. "I'm proud of you."

After a minute, Inuyasha pulled away from her. Kagome sniffed and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.

"Can I congratulate you now?" Inuyasha asked patiently.

When Kagome nodded, he closed the space between them and kissed her hard. It wasn't until one of the students gave a low whistle that the two of them realized they weren't alone.

"Jeez," Souta complained from the group of kids. "Would you two get a room?"

"We're already in one," Inuyasha pointed out with a sly look while Kagome faintly blushed.

And despite the continuing low whistles and catcalls from their students, they kissed again.

* * *

:o:

Three Years Later

:o:

* * *

Inuyasha and Kagome broke their kiss and grinned at each other, then turned to smile at the clapping audience in the church. Wishes of happiness were shouted out loud from different directions. Behind them, the priest closed a prayer book and muttered words of blessing.

Kagome tore her eyes off from the audience for a moment to glimpse down at her left hand, telling herself that the diamond ring sparkling on her finger was real…that all this wasn't a dream.

A hand suddenly came into view and intertwined with hers. She glanced back up and saw Inuyasha smiling back at her. Yet, when he saw Kagome's eyes fill with tears, a frown formed on his face.

"What's wrong, Kag?" he asked softly.

"Is-is this really happening?" Kagome whispered. "Please tell me it's not a dream."

She felt his hand tighten on hers. A second later, she felt his mouth brush against her ear as he said, "Idiot. I'll show you this isn't a dream."

And then he started running down the aisle, his hand keeping a firm grip on hers as she followed a little distance behind. She looked back at the faces she passed by. Kagome passed the pew where the bridesmaids and groomsmen sat. Sango and Ayame beamed at her. Miroku and Kouga let out whooping yells.

She passed her family. Her grandfather showed a hint of pride in his expression. Her mother's face was streamed with tears of joy.

She passed Inuyasha's family. Shippou was bouncing up and down with excitement. Rin was talking to Sesshoumaru. Even above the loud clapping and cheering, Kagome heard Rin say, "See? I _told_ you they would get married…"

Everywhere she looked, she saw similar expressions on everyone's faces. It was really happening. Her second wish had been granted. Kagome wiped her tears away with her free hand and turned her attention back to Inuyasha and the approaching doors of the church in front of her.

They slowed to a walk after they passed through the doors. Inuyasha turned around panting, a grin on his face again.

"Do you think it's a dream now?" he asked. Kagome shook her head. Tears were still brimming from her eyes, but she was smiling. The cheering grew louder as the audience left the church to join the bride and groom outside.

Kagome shrieked when Inuyasha swept her off her feet, bridal-style, and set her onto the back seat of his motorcycle.

"You're stuck with me forever now, whether you like it or not," Inuyasha smirked. Kagome stuck her tongue out at him and giggled when he kissed her on the cheek.

As Inuyasha settled himself on the driver's seat, an urging voice floated from the audience, "Throw the bouquet!"

Kagome laughed, "Alright, here I go!"

She closed her eyes, tightly gripped her bouquet, and then tossed it into the air with all her might. She opened her eyes again, watching the girls scramble around to catch the bouquet that was falling back down.

All the scuttling stopped when the bouquet landed in the arms of Sango, who blinked in confusion. Miroku immediately appeared beside her.

"This must be a sign from the heavens, dear Sango," he exclaimed. He laid a hand over her heart…or rather, on her chest. "You and I were meant to be."

Sango turned red with fury. Everyone flinched when they heard her hand slap hard against Miroku's face, "You PERVERT!"

Kagome and Inuyasha glanced at each other in amusement as they put on their helmets. Some things never changed. As Inuyasha kicked up the brakes, a young voice shouted, "WAIT!"

Rin ran up to them, holding a colorful sign that said "Just Married", which was written in child's handwriting and had hearts drawn all over.

"Me and Shippou made it!" Rin said proudly as she held it up for the newlywed couple to see.

"It's lovely," Kagome said affectionately as Rin attached the sign to the back of the motorcycle.

"And we're thankful you didn't attach any stringed cans to it," Inuyasha added. "Kagome's already loud enough."

Kagome playfully punched him in the arm before wrapping her arms around his waist.

"We're holding our reception at Houshi Shrine," Inuyasha announced to the crowd. "We hope to see you all there. If you need directions to the shrine, you can ask the guy that just got slapped."

Miroku rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, "Hehe, that would be me."

Inuyasha shot a smile at his best friend and then turned his head back partially to ask Kagome, "Ready?"

Kagome nodded. Inuyasha turned on the engine. A moment later, they were off. Even above the roaring engine of the motorcycle, Kagome could hear the loud cheering of the crowd that they'd just left. She peeked behind her and saw them cheerfully waving, and in some cases, jumping.

Kagome turned her attention back to the front with a broad smile on her face. She tightened her arms around Inuyasha's waist. At a stoplight, she felt his fingers touch the ring on her finger, and a memory suddenly triggered inside her head.

_It's only a promise ring. We're too young to marry right now anyway. But the ring represents that when we're older, and if we still love each other, we might marry each other…which means that I'll have to give you another ring, won't I?_

Kagome rested her head against Inuyasha's back and whispered, "I love you, Inuyasha."

She knew he wouldn't be able to hear her over the engine, but it seemed her message made its way across when he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

And then they were off again after the light turned green.

To the shrine where they had first met and fallen in love with one another...to Houshi Shrine, the place they considered their shrine of love.

* * *

**The End**

* * *

A/N: A happy ending, just like in the original manga (which finally ended after 12 years).

Alas, after four years, this fanfiction has finally been complete. **:D** I hope you all enjoyed the story as much as I have.

PLEASE REVIEW (especially since this is the last chapter)!


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